In the End
by BlueAmethystRose
Summary: Things aren't the way they were before; you wouldn't even recognize me anymore. Not that you knew me back then, but it all comes back to me in the end... -OCxOC, yuri. Rated M.- Check out the sequel: "Iris".
1. Swing Life Away

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of its merchandise, games, TV shows, etc.

Copyright: These are my own ideas and are NOT to be used by anyone for whatever reason.

Warning: This story can get pretty emo. Alcohol, abuse, SELF-abuse, etc. is included.

Chapter One: Swing Life Away

The sweet smell of early spring swept through the small town, rustling leaves and newly sprouting flora all around. There was a peaceful silence that always hung over Pallet Town around this particular time of year. There were no paved roads, so the footsteps of passersby could barely be heard. Very few people came to this town except for the one day of the year that young trainers flocked to receive their very first pokemon. This wasn't that time of year, so it remained quiet.

On the side of the dusty road headed towards Viridian City, where the houses began to stretch further and further apart from one another until it was nothing but wooded path, there was a small house. It could hardly even be considered a house compared with the rest of Kanto's cities and towns. Some might even call it a prison, a holding cell for those lower-than-minimum-wage people with no escape. The front porch, as small and uninteresting as it was, had an old wooden swing that hung by a set of iron chains.

A young girl sat there on the swing, an acoustic guitar in her lap and a pick in hand. She'd always come out here on the porch on those lonely spring days and just play her guitar until the sun disappeared behind the trees. No one ever visited and she had no siblings, so the best way she could cope was to bring out her hand-me-down guitar and play a little something. She wasn't ever playing for anyone in particular, just playing. It was never even a song anyone knew - it came from the top of her head and she just played it as it came to her.

Her companion for life always came outside with her and sat on the steps - her Totodile whom she named Sage. She wasn't sure why she chose the name at the time she found the pokemon, but it seemed to fit better than those cutesy names like Bubbles or Blueberry.

Yes, she did find Sage. She didn't catch him, or get him from Professor Oak. The little blue crocodile was wandering around away from its nest. It was too young to be off on its own, but obviously old enough to function enough to survive. He wasn't even scared when he was suddenly approached by this foreign two-legged species. He happily came home with the girl and they have been best friends ever since.

The old swing, it was the only way to escape the stress of poverty and the aching loneliness that the girl had to endure every day of her life. She could move, yes, but where would her mother get the money to buy a new and better house? It wasn't like her mother didn't have drinking and anger issues, or that she could actually take care of herself. It was a tough and somewhat confusing situation that the girl would rather not try and explain to people.

The acoustic guitar that she always brought out on the porch with her every day was the only other friend she had. Those who appreciate music would know that the best feeling in the world is the power to create music with your own hands. It's an almost unearthly thing, pure magic. You could play your emotions on an instrument; you could play your whole _life_ if you wanted to. The deep, earthy tones were picked up by the gentle spring breeze and carried throughout the town. It was as sad and lonely as the people themselves.

"Someday we'll find something better" the girl would always tell Sage. But the pokemon didn't seem to care about living conditions. The only things that existed in his world were his best friend, the acoustic guitar, and the old wooden swing.

_We live on front porches and swing life away  
We get by just fine here on minimum wage  
If love is a labor, I'll slave 'til the end  
I won't cross these streets until you hold my hand_

_Swing life away  
Swing life away  
Swing life away  
Swing life away..._

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_(A/N: ) So there's my first chapter. Yes, every chapter I think will be based on a song. I like music, and I do actually play guitar, so this might work well for my storyline. Actually, to tell you the truth, there is no storyline. At least, not one that I've thought of. I'm typing it as it comes to my head and hoping it turns out well. Alright, enough of the ranting. Please review, flame, criticize, judge, or whatever else it takes to let me know how well or poorly I did._


	2. The Great Escape

Disclaimer/copyright: Stated.

Warning: Possible yuri, language, alcohol, abuse, self-abuse. This is all possibly later on. I'm just bullshitting everything here.

Chapter Two: The Great Escape

The girl's mother had always been a cruel and unstable person, to the point where it was just too unbearable to be around her. Scary, even. She would get lost in one of her alcohol induced fits and then nothing could stop her from breaking another random object in the house, most likely having been thrown at her only child for no apparent reason. Even without alcohol, the woman was constantly angry. It was a question as to whether the not-so-drunken fits were just her being her, or if it was all because of having to live in poverty for so long.

When one of those days just happened to barge in on an otherwise calmer day, the swing was no longer a means of escape and solitude. The only other option, given that this was a very small town, was the wooded area in the back of the girl's house. She would grab her guitar, for fear of it being broken, and quickly escape to the woods with Sage. It was always a pleasure being here, because the families of Spearow and Pidgey and Rattata and Sentret made it feel less lonely. Even though the wild pokemon probably didn't take any interest in a human, and probably saw her as no more than an intruder, the girl still sat down on the log in the middle of the clearing and played her guitar. Sage would sit down by the little brook that ran through the trees and just let his mind drift away under the soft tones being played.

That one fine spring day, it was like any other day – come out on the porch and play a song and stare off into the distance, almost as though looking for that shining ray of hope…

"Excuse me for interrupting Rose, but I need a word with you." Her trance was broken at the sound of her name. God, she hated that name. Not for the reason most people would think, but because it was either used as a weapon or a placement of authority. No one ever said "Rose" in a loving or kind manner, not even her own mother.

Rose looked down at the person who spoke, who just so happened to be Professor Oak. She had met him once, when he was handing out pokemon to all the new trainers who had flocked to Pallet Town about a year ago. _Handing out _pokemon, like they were little carnival toys only meant for children's pleasure. She didn't believe in all this "catching" and "training" nonsense. Pokemon exist to be friend of man and should be treated as such. But she was no pokemon rights activist, so she refrained from ranting about this to the old professor.

"Good morning Oak, what brings you here?" She tried to be polite as possible. Sage jumped down from his perch on the front step and went up to the professor, sniffing his pant leg. "Well Rose, I was wondering if you'd do me a favor. You're always stuck at home and don't seem to have anything better to do…" Rose suppressed a scowl. He made it seem as though her guitar meant nothing, when he had no clue how symbolic it was to her. "… so I'm wondering if maybe you'll run a little errand for me?" finished the professor. He noticed the little Totodile standing at his heels, so he stooped down to pet him on the head. "What kind of errand?" Rose asked as she stood up, suddenly curious. "Well, I need a package delivered to Saffron City. Yes, that is a bit far from here," (He noted her surprised expression.) "but I do have something to give you in return if you do this for me. I'm far too busy these days to be able to do it myself. So, what do you think?"

It had only just dawned on Rose how wonderful this opportunity was. She could get _out_; she could finally see the world. She could travel anywhere and see anything. Travel… How in the world would she be able to do this with no bike or pokemon that was capable of carrying her?

She asked this to Professor Oak, who said "Oh yes, I almost forgot. Come with me to my lab, I have something there for you that you could use." Without a second though Rose picked up her guitar and put it on her back like a backpack, since she had no carrying case for it. "Come on Sage, this is our big chance!" She picked her slightly confused blue companion up and followed Oak.

The lab was the biggest building in Pallet Town, which wasn't saying much compared with a place like Celadon or Goldenrod City. But it was impressive nonetheless. Rose, Sage, and Professor Oak passed by numerous machines operated by some assistants in white coats. In the back of the room, which was where they were headed, a large wooden table with absolutely nothing on it could be seen. This was where trainers could pick up their very first pokemon and pokedex. Rose had always wanted a pokedex. Not for keeping track of caught pokemon, but to learn more about the ones she sees every day. Sometimes she'd see one walk by and she wouldn't even know what it was called. A pokedex would be immensely useful even for someone who wasn't a trainer.

The three of them stopped walking when they reached the back of the lab. There was a computer here, and for some strange reason, a shiny blue bicycle sitting right there next to it. Rose gave the older man a questioning look. "I'm sure a bike would come in handy on your trip." said Professor Oak as he pointed to it. "Oh! Thank you so much professor!" Rose said as she went over to look at it. She hadn't ridden a bike since she was ten years old, her old bike ended up being stolen by one of those greedy middle class kids from some place like Viridian.

Sage curiously sniffed the rubber tires of the bike as Professor Oak handed Rose a package. "This is what I need delivered. On the package is the name of the man who you're giving this to, so you won't forget. This man works in a small laboratory in Saffron, it's right next to Silph Co. Just hand him this and then call me right away." She nodded and took the paper-covered box in her hands. It was a bit heavy for something so small. Sage looked up and tilted his head in curiosity as Oak continued to talk. "Thank you so much for doing this for me, but this isn't just some errand you know. I know how hard it is living here, so I thought that you'd like to get out and go places. You already have a pokemon and you're well over the legal age to train one, so I figured you'd want to go out on a journey like the other trainers do. Saffron is far from here, but I'm sure you'll enjoy being able to see the other towns and cities before you get there. There's so much out there that you won't find here." Rose smiled at this thought. Even though she wasn't planning on actually training Sage or traveling to any gyms, the thought of going on this journey intrigued her.

"You can leave at any time Rose, but only after I speak with your mother. Hmm, now that I think about it, I haven't even met her yet." Rose's heart suddenly _dropped_. "M-my mother?" she choked weakly. "Well, yes, of course!" said the professor. "I can't just send you off and not tell her about it. Wouldn't she be worried?" She gave a weak nod, unsure of what to say. "So let's walk that bike over to your house and I'll have a talk with your mother." Rose sighed deeply as she followed Oak out, with Sage walking close to her heels. He looked up at her with a mix of curiosity and worry.

They stopped when they made it to the house. Professor Oak made his way up the stairs to the front door as Rose leaned the bike up against the side of the house, then proceeded to follow him. Sage hopped up the steps on all fours merrily, almost completely oblivious to the goings-on around him.

_DING-DONG._ The bell only had to ring once before Rose's mother opened the door. Her short brown hair was a bit messy, as if she had just woken up, and she had the look of a disoriented madwoman. "Heyyy Rose, who's this guy you brought home with ya?" she asked with a hoarse chuckle. She was obviously drunk, but at least not too drunk to stand up or form somewhat proper sentences. She smelled of cigarettes and beer though, and Rose was almost certain that the professor noticed this. "Oh, err, my name's Professor Oak and I needed to speak with you about your daughter…"

The words trailed off in Rose's mind as she stared over the edge of the porch and proceeded to drown out the conversation by watching Sage play with a Caterpie he found walking up the side of the house. It wasn't really playing, more like poking the poor thing and then laughing because it couldn't get away fast enough on its tiny legs. It began to make a strange cry, like some kind of injured cat. "Alright, that's enough Sage." Rose said in a low voice. A look of disappointment appeared on his face as he watched his plaything crawl the rest of the way up and onto the roof.

"Alright ma'am, err, I'll be sure to keep an eye on your daughter while she's out." Professor Oak said. Did her mother even realize how long she'd be gone? She most likely didn't care, or maybe she had no clue what was going on in her alcohol induced stupor. "Alrighty then…" the half-drunken woman said. "Have fun goin' off and doing… things…" She trailed off and started muttering to herself as she shut the door.

Professor Oak looked uncomfortable, but quickly regained his composure when he saw Rose looking at him. Sage looked at him too. "Well then, I suppose it's all set." he said with a smile. He seemed quick to get off the subject of the drunken woman. "You should leave right away so you don't have to travel in the dark. Viridian City isn't too far off, just stick to the path and you'll be all set. It's a pretty straightforward journey." Rose nodded her head and looked at Sage, who nodded as well. Her mother didn't really give an answer as to whether or not she could actually go on this journey. It was probably the alcohol that said "yes". If that was the case, then leaving as soon as possible didn't sound like such a bad idea.

The two companions made their way back down the steps. Rose hopped on the bike while Sage hopped onto her shoulders with a bit of difficulty because of the guitar. "You two be careful now!" said the professor as they started slowly up the path. Rose waved quickly waved to the man, then peddled off into the distance as quickly as she could. She was finally free to explore the world and leave everything that had ever oppressed her behind.

_Throw it away, forget yesterday  
__We'll make the great escape  
__Won't hear a word they say  
__They don't know us anyway  
__Watch it burn, let it die  
_'_Cause we are finally free tonight…_

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_(A/N: ) I swear I was up at 3am typing this up. Just typing and typing whatever came to mind. But I think it's working for me. I'll stop at this chapter until I get some reviews. If people want me to keep going, then so be it. Oh, and if anyone can think of a title by, let's say… the fifth or sixth chapter, I'll use it._


	3. Untitled

Chapter Three: Untitled

_Thump thump thump_. The tires of the bike gently rode over small bumps in the dusty road as Rose and her only companion sped off in the direction of Viridian City. The breeze rushing by felt good on Rose's face and her hair whipped behind her as she peddled onward. Tree after tree after tree raced by in a green blur and the woods only got thicker as the path went on, but the path ahead could still easily be seen. It also cut straight through the whole way, and they wouldn't be running into Viridian Forest until _after _they stopped at the city.

"We should almost be there Sage" said Rose to the pokemon on her shoulder. He didn't respond, but tightened his grip for fear of falling. He did just this as the bike suddenly came to a completely halt. A small cloud of dust rose up in the spot on the path where Sage had landed. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" Rose said as she hopped off the bike and helped the pokemon up. They both looked over at what had caused her to stop. An injured… something or other was lying there in the middle of the road. She wasn't sure what it was. It was some kind of dog-like pokemon with dark black fur and short pointed ears. A puppy, most likely. If Rose hadn't seen it, it probably would have been run over.

It whined as it laid on its side with its eyes squeezed shut. Its left hind leg, from what Rose could see, was horribly injured. The flesh was torn wide open - enough to be able to see bone – and it had numerous scratches all over its body. The bleeding, however, looked like it had stopped a while ago.

"Oh my God…" gasped Rose as she saw the helpless pokemon. Sage moved closer to examine it, but a mere flinch sent him waddling back to his friend to hide behind her. Without any clue what else to do, Rose attempted to pick up the injured pokemon. This triggered a series of yelps as it struggled to get out of her grasp, but it was too weak to get away. "It's alright, I won't hurt you…" she said, trying the best she could to stay calm and to keep the struggling puppy calm as well. It finally stopped moving, but still continued to whine even louder. "Aw crap, how am I gonna do this?" asked Rose to no one in particular. She couldn't operate the bike _and _carry the pokemon in her arms. Sage was too small to carry it and definitely couldn't ride the bike.

At this point a lone Spearow from a nearby tree came swooping down on the three of them. Rose and Sage ducked as the angry bird flew by at blinding speed, then attempted to circle around and try again. "Shit." she swore as she watched the bird. She knew very well that Spearow only came in flocks, so there had to have been more where this one came from. Sure enough, the tree from where the first one came seemed to glow with numerous pairs of eyes.

Then time seemed to slow down as almost a hundred of the angry Spearow flew out of the tree in one big mass and came straight for Rose. Countless ruby wings beats against the sky, shooting their tan bodies forward like missiles. She screamed and ducked as they rushed by her, some actually managing to slash her skin with their beaks and claws as time seemed to speed up once more. She found a stick nearby, grabbed it, and swung at the birds. Some were hit, but others kept on swooping down at her and then circling around to come back. "Sage, do something! You're a pokemon!" But the little crocodile was just as lost as she was. He snapped at some of them, but they only seemed to rain down harder. He eventually managed to actually knock a few down with his claws, leaving them flapping and squawking on the ground as they tried to get back into the air.

The sound of someone yelling somewhere off in the distance cut through the cawing and the squawking. Someone was running towards them with a pokemon at her side. "Alright Pidgeot, use your Whirlwind attack!" A huge gust of wind blew past and swept away almost all of the attackers. Rose and Sage held on to each other to keep from being blown away and the puppy yelped in fear. The flock of Spearow, agitated by this assault, all came straight at the Pidgeot, who lifted off into the air with amazing grace and speed. It flew quickly in circles, leading the enemies away from everyone else. "Now finish them with Swift!" came the voice of the Pidgeot's owner. It made a quick-turn so it was facing the flock, then released a flurry of stars from its beak. Every one of the Spearow was hit and fell to the ground with a soft _thud_.

The Pidgeot landed on its feet with the same grace from when it had taken flight, then preened its disoriented red, yellow, and tan feathers. "Are you alright?" asked the girl who had just saved Rose. Rose nodded without even looking up as tears rolled down her face. Sage noticed and looked up at her with an expression of worry. The puppy was whining softly in her arms. "Aww, that poor Houndour!" the other girl said as she stepped closer to examine it. "Houndour?" Rose inquired as she looked up. At this point, both sets of eyes met and Rose saw the other girl for the first time. She had long brown hair down to her elbows and green eyes. She was a little on the heavy side, but Rose didn't see this. A funny feeling crept down in her stomach and somewhere else in that lower region, but she wasn't entirely sure why.

"Yeah, Houndour. A pokemon." said the girl with a strange look on her face. "Wha? Uhh. Oh, right…" Rose trailed off, but quickly regained composure. "Well, it's not _my _fault I don't know my pokemon names!" she said with a sudden snappy attitude. Anything to keep her from crying more. "Alright then, I'm sorry. I didn't know I was working with such a sheltered child." came the retort, along with a smirk played across the girl's lips. Her beauty greatly clashed with this sudden burst of attitude. Before Rose could counterattack, the other girl stepped closer to check the Houndour over again. Sage growled at the closeness, glaring up at the intruder with black pupils.

"We're going to have to get her to a hospital, and fast." she said as she decided on her own accord to take the puppy into her arms. "… Her?" asked Rose, as if she had never even heard the word before. "Well, yes, her. It's a female." the other girl said with a hint of sarcasm. "You see, pokemon all have genders, right? And each gender has specific parts associated with them. Like, for males it's -" "Alright alright!!" shouted Rose as the other laughed. She knew right away she wasn't going to like the rest of the trip to Viridian.

"Okay then, hop back on the bike and start peddling kid; I'll ride on Pidgeot-back." Rose's face turned red at this. "How can you call me a kid like that, you don't even look a year older than me?! Wait!" The Pidgeot stopped in mid-take-off with its wings slightly open. It trilled in annoyance as it waited to finally be able to fly again. "Can I at least know your name before we start going?" The other girl seemed to be thinking it over, and then said "It's Delilah." Then the Pidgeot finally took flight at the same surprising speed as before and took off in the direction the path was headed. "Hey, wait for me!" yelled Rose as she hopped on the bike, waited for Sage to hop on, and then took off after the others.


	4. Push

Chapter 4: Push

Entering Viridian City for the very first time would have been one of the greatest moments of Rose's life, if it weren't for the panic coursing through her veins. She'd never had any experience with an injured pokemon, especially one that she'd never even seen before. People walking by stared as Rose, Delilah, and the three pokemon passed by with lightning speed towards the Pokemon Center up ahead. Pidegeot was much further ahead than Rose, and landed delicately a few feet from their destination. Rose stopped right next to it when she caught up, hopping off her bike and leaning it against the wall of the building.

"Let's go." said Delilah in that annoyingly assertive voice. She cradled the injured Houndour in her arms and shouldered the front door of the Pokemon Center open. Rose followed close behind, with Sage and Pidegeot behind her, as they passed a handful of trainers with their pokemon in the waiting room. A young boy sat crying with an injured Oddish in his lap while an older one sat next to him, trying to comfort the other. A few seats away sat an older woman with a Hoothoot sitting next to her, rocking its head back and forth with rhythm like a clock. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with it, besides the ominous wide-eyed stare and the movement of its head. _Tick tock tick tock_, back and forth and back and forth. God, that was annoying. Rose forced herself to look away as she walked on.

Unsurprisingly to anyone reading this, a woman with funny pink hair sat at the front desk. Her nametag read "Joy". Delilah, being at the front of the group, held up the Houndour and said "Ma'am, this pokemon needs help, and fast! We found it on the side of the road coming here." The nurse stood up promptly. "Chansey!" she called. Rose looked confused at first, but then realized that Chansey must have been the name of a pokemon as a large pink round one waddled through some double doors behind Nurse Joy. She was pushing a stretcher with her stubby little arms. "Chansey, we need to bring this pokemon into the back room right away!" said Joy as she asked Delilah to hand over the Houndour. She whined worse than ever as she felt herself being handed over to yet another stranger. "It's okay sweetie, I got you…" She was brought into the double doors. Rose and Delilah were told to wait, and they did just that.

Hours and hours and hours went by. Some other Chanseys and a few Blisseys came out of a different room to offer help to the waiting pokemon in the room. Pidegeot preened its feathers again, fidgeting once in a while from sitting still for too long. Sage picked up some magazines nearby and looked at the pictures inside, since he, being a pokemon, could not read. Delilah watched closely with mild curiosity as Rose strummed quietly on her guitar. Her fingers worked quickly but delicately as she plucked each string. The sound seemed to soothe everyone's anxiety, even for the other people waiting with their pokemon.

The woman with the Hoothoot finally left, so there was no creepy owl stares coming from the other side of the room. The boys with the Oddish went into the other back room with a Chansey to have it checked over. Two more people had entered the room with pokemon that needed care. But eventually everyone left, making the calming tones from the guitar seem louder. Not a word was said between the four of them waiting there. The clock above the front desk read 1:25.

Finally, at 2:00 on the dot, Nurse Joy came into the waiting room with an unreadable expression on her face. Rose and Delilah stood up quickly and Sage looked up from a magazine. Pidgeot looked indifferent. "Houndour is going to be just fine." said Joy. "But there was a bad infection in her leg, so we had no choice but to amputate it. She'll be able to walk fine though, since she has three legs. She's sleeping if you want to go check up on her." The two girls told their pokemon to stay as they got up and went into the double doors.

Houndour looked peaceful as she slept in the little hospital bed, twitching every so often as she dreamt about who knew what. Her leg, or what was left of it, was thickly bandaged up. Rose reached a hand out to stroke its muzzle. "It's, uhh, a good thing we got here when we did." Delilah said to break the awkward silence. "That infection would have spread to the rest of her body." Rose nodded her head as she continued to watch the sleeping puppy. Her chest rose and fell with each deep breath. "I think we need to leave though. I have some money; we can get a room somewhere and come back tomorrow." Rose was silent for a moment, then said "Wait… Why would you do that for me? I'm the one who owes you for saving me back there." The other girl shrugged. "I know someday you'll owe me big time." she said with one of those evil smirks, and then she turned around to walk out. Rose followed her back out into the waiting room.

Sage had fallen asleep on the chair and was snoring loudly while Pidegeot looked over at him with distaste. "Ready to go?" whispered Delilah as she went over to it. The bird trilled softly and nodded its head; it couldn't wait to get out of there. "Alright then." She pulled out a pokeball. "Return." she commanded as Pidgeot disappeared into the ball. Rose looked surprised. "That was cool, I've never seen that before." she said. Delilah raised an eyebrow. "You're one weird kid, you know that?" She shook her head. "Stop calling me kid! How old are you anyway??" "Psh, and why should I tell you that? I hardly even know you." Her attitude was getting to be annoying. "Since we're going to be spending all of today together, and probably all of tomorrow, I'd at least like to know a little about you!" In the most immature fashion, Delilah stuck her tongue out at Rose, then proceeded to walk out of the Pokemon Center. Rose threw her arms up in defeat, then picked Sage up from the chair. He opened one eye for a moment, then closed it again as he fell back to sleep. He was shifted to one arm as Rose put her guitar back over her shoulder. She bid Nurse Joy goodbye, then headed out.

Rose finally had the chance to see Viridian City, seeing as she missed her chance earlier. It was small, but it didn't matter to her. This was still far better than Pallet Town. There were some paved areas here and some people walked by taking pictures. Tourists, obviously. The biggest group of people seemed to be around the gym, which was closed. Why would people want to go there if it was closed then? Rose watched people, one by one, take pictures of each other standing in front of the huge building. She's give anything to have a camera right now, just because of the oddity of it all. She'd always been a curious person. Things always amazed her or left her wondering.

She shrugged, not really understanding the point of it all, then looked around some more. She saw a small drink stand where Delilah was talking to a short old man behind the little table. Rose went over and caught the end of the conversation. "… cheaper for a room without windows, which is a funny thing because-" "Alright, thanks." said Delilah impatiently. She turned around, nearly bumping into Rose. Rose jumped back a bit from the awkward closeness and blushed. "There's a hotel we can go to here, but there's not much here to see." Delilah seemed to be thinking deeply as she looked over at the hotel building. If she didn't want to stay here, she could just go. Why did she even need a second thought? Rose was the only one wanting to stay here just to check up on the Houndour. Plus she had never seen this town and wanted to so desperately see everything it had to offer before moving on.

As if reading Rose's mind, Delilah turned around quickly. "I'll stay for tonight, since I need to pick up some things anyway. I'll probably head to the PokeMart now actually. You go and do your little tourist thing." She walked away once again, but this time Rose didn't follow. Sage, who was still cradled in her arms, woke up and looked around. "You ready to take a look around Sage?" The pokemon nodded vigorously and sprang free from napping place. "Toto-toto-dile!" he exclaimed as he landed on his feet. Rose smiled, realizing this was the happiest she had ever seen her friend in a long time.

Taking advantage of this offer, Rose wandered off to the gym. It seemed to be the only place people were interested in, so she had to see what was so great about it. She and Sage walked up behind the many people flocked around the front doors. Some looked like tourists, excited to be there. Others looked like trainers with eager looks on their face. Rose found a random little girl, who couldn't have been more than six years old, jumping up and down to see over everyone else's head. There was a Rattata in her arms, looking miserable. "Hey, do you know what's going on here?" asked Rose. The little girl stopped jumping and looked up with a smile. One of her front teeth was missing. "I hear that they're finally opening up the gym!" she said as she snuggled the purple pokemon in her arms. It looked pissed. "The gym is usually closed then?" asked Rose. "Uh-huh! It's closed all the time almost, everyone knows that. Then after like, forever, they open it back up and then lots and lots of people come to see it and take pictures and then the gym leader picks a random somebody from the crowd to battle him. It's so cool!" She seemed out of breath from her rant, but with a deep breath she started again. "My Rattata can beat that leader, no problem. He's the toughest and strongest pokemon ever! But the gym leader never picks me…" She looked sad, but then happy all of a sudden. "Your pokemon looks so cool!" She squealed as she saw Sage standing there at Rose's feet. Rose laughed as she sat down on the ground next to the girl. "His name is Sage" Rose said. "Hi Sage!!" exclaimed the girl as she pat the Totodile on the snout a little too hard. He rubbed it with his paw, looking annoyed. "So what's your name?" asked Rose as she took her guitar off her shoulder. "My name is Danielle. Not like Daniel, that's a boy's name and that'd be weird if I had a boy's name and- Ooh! You have a guitar too??" Rose simply nodded as she positioned the instrument on her lap and started playing.

Danielle sat down, suddenly quiet, and watched with amazement. Some other people behind them looked down to see where the sound was coming from, and some even became interested. Everything seemed to quiet down whenever Rose played the guitar. It brought back memories of her home in Pallet. Those good memories turned to bad as she remember her mother, and what would happen if she finally sobered up and realized she was gone.

_"YOU STUPID BITCH!" came the wild scream as a twelve-year-old Rose dodged yet another object being thrown at her. This time it was the saltshaker, which missed her head by a mere inch and exploded against the wall. "I'm sorry mom, I'm sorry!!" Rose screamed. "I tried to cook it like you asked, really! I just turned the oven up too high. Mom, no, please!" The enraged woman grabbed a spatula nearby and approached her frightened daughter as fast as her drunken legs would carry her._

"Rose? Helloooooo??" came a familiar voice. She was snapped out of her trance as she looked up at Delilah standing over her. The guitar-playing had stopped, and Danielle looked at her in mild confusion. Rose didn't notice the tears streaming down her face. When she did, she wiped her face as fast as she could and looked away. Sage was nuzzling her gently and looking up at her with concern. "What the hell are you crying for?" said Delilah as she shifted her weight. She was carrying numerous bags of goods she had bought. "Wow, I'm gone for a whole hour and you're already crying. I didn't think someone your age needed adult supervision." Rose held back a sob. She was certainly in no mood for jokes. Delilah sighed, almost in a sorry way, then said "Here, I got you this. Just shut up and take it. I have money and you don't, end of story." Rose wasn't sure if this were a token gesture or not, but she took it nonetheless. It was a simple shoulder bag with many pockets, much like what she had seen trainers wearing whenever they flocked to Pallet Town. "Th-thanks, I guess…" said Rose as she struggled to get up off the ground.

"Hey, that was some pretty good playing" a voice said nearby. A teenage boy came over and handed her some change. "Keep it up!" he said as he walked away. Then an old woman came up to her and did the same "That was very beautiful, you play very well for someone so young." Rose had a look of shock on her face. Before she knew it, one by one, more and more people approached her and handed her money and praised her for her performance. She didn't even realize how many people were listening to her play. After the last person approached her, Danielle finally spoke up. "I think my mommy wants me home now, thanks for playing for me!" She gave one last smile and, with the slightly struggling Rattata in her arms, skipped off in some random direction.

"Heh, I don't even know what to say." Delilah said, trying to hide the surprise in her voice. She shrugged. "I think we should at least get a room at the hotel before anything else. These damn bags are killing my back anyway. Come on." For once, she waited for Rose to come with her, and then the two of them walked to the hotel in silence.

The hotel was a bit colder inside than out, but it looked cozy. The lobby had a few cushioned chairs and a couch circled around a small, round table. Plants sat in different places around the room, which Rose eventually learned were actually pokemon called Bellsprout and Sunflora. Delilah talked to the woman at the desk while the other two waited, then she came over and handed Rose the key to their room. "Here, you can be in charge of this." she said. "Our room's upstairs, come on." Rose looked confused. "Just one room?" she asked. Her voice was still a bit raspy from crying. "Well, yeah, I'm not gonna leave you all by yourself. You might start crying on me again."

They all walked up the stairs to their room in silence, until Rose finally spoke up. "If you're going to treat me like shit, then why are you even doing all this for me? Why don't you just leave my ass here and go off on your own?" Delilah didn't answer at first, then said "Like I said, I don't wanna leave you all alone and have you kill yourself or something. You're new to everything; you need at least someone to lean on. And no, I'm not saying I'll be your friend. I don't do the whole 'friend' thing. I'm just saying you look helpless and you don't even know where anything is I'm assuming." She took this as a "yes" when Rose said nothing to her.

Now she was confused. Here was this seemingly sweet girl (or woman; she wasn't even sure) who saved her life not too long ago. Then she starts with this sudden bitchy attitude and seems to hate Rose and everyone else completely. But then she turns around and helps Rose out even more by buying her a backpack _and _a room for the both of them to stay for the night.

"Can I ask you something though, and _please_ freaking answer me this time?" Rose saw it as an invitation to ask when Delilah remained quiet. "How old are you? I'm assuming it's a lot older than me, seeing as you keep calling me a damn kid." The other girl sighed. "I'm 22. Crazy, huh? Everyone says I look so much younger than I really am, and I guess they're right because I managed to fool you." Again, more silence as they continued to walk up the stairs.

They finally reached room number 14. Rose unlocked the door and held it open for Delilah, then shut it behind her. It was small, but cozy just like the lobby. The first room they walked into was the bedroom/living room. There was a queen-sized bed up against the left wall facing the right wall where the TV was. The south wall had a small bookshelf and recliner against it and the furthest wall had a huge curtained glass door that lead out onto a balcony. A door in the upper right corner lead into a small kitchen area and a door opposite from that was the bathroom. The bedsheets, the curtains, and the carpet were all a crimson red color and the walls were all white.

"It's nice in here." said Rose as she plopped down comfortably onto the bed. "I never had any of this at home, even though it's no mansion in here." Delilah put down the bags and sat in the recliner. "What's up with home? You poor or something?" Rose shook her head as she stared at the opposite wall, but didn't seem to care that the older woman said it so bluntly. "I lived like shit back in Pallet. My mom's a drunk; she could never afford to get a nice house. She can't even take care of herself. I'm glad I'm away from there though, it was Hell." There was a moment of silence. The only thing that could be heard was the clock on the wall ticking away. Sage was too busy gazing out the big window to really notice what was going on around him. Then Delilah asked "Why are you even here then, if you're not house-hunting?" Rose cleared her throat and shifted weight on the bed. "Professor Oak gave me a package to deliver to someone in Saffron. Truthfully, I don't know where that is. I was hoping to get a map from someone to help me. I guess he decided that it was too much for me to stay in that town, so he sent me of all people. He thought I'd like to get out and see what the rest of this country has to offer, and he was right." "I don't see what's so amazing about this place, there's nothing here to see but the gym." said Delilah as she took her shoes off to get comfortable. "Well I'm sorry you live like such a damn princess!" Rose yelled back. This time Sage looked behind him at the two of them. Delilah sighed, as she always did when her mood changed suddenly. "Trust me Rose, my life's no carnival ride either…" "What do you mean…?" "Never mind about that, I need to put all this crap away that I bought. Ham and potatoes for dinner by the way." She pointed to one of the bags. "No need to thank me, just take it and don't complain."

Rose watched her as she went through all the bags, picking out all the food items and bringing them into the kitchen. She started to stare out the window at the beautiful spring scenery. A stray Butterfree fluttered by the window, then disappeared into the cloudless blue sky. There was still a gentle breeze that stirred the leaves of some trees surrounding the town and of course, the sweet smell of flowers. Rose finally decided to get up and help Delilah put away everything. It was the least she could do. Sage followed her to help with a bounce in his step. Rose smiled to herself the entire time she was in the kitchen. Things were finally looking up and for the first time in a long time, Rose was free.

----------

_(A/N: ) The reason I'm mentioning only Johto and Kanto pokemon and towns in this is because, well, that's the only series I really like. Out of all the games I've played, I like Pokemon Crystal above all. Plus I'm more familiar with it, I know where everything is and I know so much about all the pokemon. So yeah, that's just to clarify. You won't be seeing any Walrein or Chimchars or Pacifidlog Town or any of that crud. I have problems keeping track of all the new elements of the storyline._

_Anyway, enough of the ranting. Please read and review. Well, at this point I shouldn't tell you to read it, you already did obviously. .;_


	5. Story of My Life

_(A/N: ) I am SO sorry people. I had a sudden case of writer's block for this one, but I'm back on track and will probably stay like that for a while. Yes Lisa, I know this isn't anything like what you told me I should write, but this is what suddenly came to mind so this is what I used. Anyway, hope you enjoy it. ._

Chapter 5: Story of My Life

Sage looked up at the dinner table with wide red eyes, his mouth moist and dripping with saliva. The agonizingly delicious smell of the food floated through every room. The only thing that could be heard was the soft clinking of dishes as the table was set. Having a hotel room that came with free dishes and silverware was a great advantage for their wallets (not that Rose had much money to begin with anyway). Ham and potatoes were served generously to each plate at the table. There was even a place for Sage to sit and enjoy the meal with the others.

Delilah released her Pidgeot and another pokemon with it to join them. "Nido-nido!" it cried as it came out of its pokeball.

"Oh wow, is that a Nidoran?" asked Rose as she watched the greenish-blue pokemon in awe. "I've never seen one before, only heard of them from other people."

The Nidoran saw Sage sitting under the table, waiting for dinner to be ready. She immediately hobbled over to him on her short legs and snuggled up to him. "Toto-toto??" exclaimed Sage, surprised by the sudden close contact.

"Heh, I see Jade's made a new friend already." Delilah said as she peered under the table. Sage looked up at her with a desperate "help me" look.

Jade… That's an awesome name." said Rose.

Delilah shrugged. "That was my mom's name, and this was my first pokemon. It seemed to fit nicely."

Rose nodded as she continued to watch Jade nuzzle the uncomfortable Sage. She wondered why he didn't get stabbed by the little barbs all over the other pokemon's body.

Before she could bring up this question with Delilah, the food was all ready. Dinner was eaten in somewhat awkward silence, with the only sound that could be heard being that of forks and knives tapping softly against the plates. Sage ate as far as he could from Jade, who kept looking over at him from her dish. Pidegeot ignored everything and concentrated on its own meal. The kitchen was a bit crowded with the addition of the three pokemon.

"This was very nice of you" Rose said to break the silence. "Thank you so much."

Delilah shrugged, as she usually did. "It wasn't a problem at all. Just know that you owe me big time kid." She shot an evil-but-somewhat "I'm kidding" look over at the younger girl, who just scoffed and continued eating.

After another ten or so minutes of no talking, they were all finally done. Dishes were quickly cleaned up and piled into the sink. Rose helped out by washing the dishes and wiping down the table. It was the least she could do, seeing as Delilah helped her with so much more.

"I think we should take a walk." she said after everything was cleaned up and put away.

"Where the hell are we gonna go?" asked Delilah. She had just sat down and began to relax in the big recliner.

"Well, we can take a walk to the Viridian Forest. Not really deep into it though, just enough to go see it. I love the forest."

Delilah was silent as she cast a strange look at the other girl. "Weirdo. But whatever, I'll go. Not much to do here anyway."

She got up and made her way to the door. She always seemed to take the lead wherever they went.

"Wait up, I didn't think you'd wanna leave right away." said Rose as she rushed to catch up with Delilah.

"Well, you said you wanted to go, so let's go. It's gonna get dark if we wait any longer."

"Um. Alright. Sorry. Come on Sage, we're taking a walk."

The little blue Totodile waddled behind rose, with Jade and Pidgeot following, as she walked out the door.

Delilah was already halfway down the staircase, making her way to the front entrance of the hotel. "Ugh, wait for me please!" Rose said as she hurried down the stairs.

The air was still almost as warm as it had been earlier that morning, but the wind seemed to stop completely. This made it seem so much more quiet than usual. The leaves from nearby trees no longer rustled and there were a lot less people walking around at this time. Sage ran off to chase a Pidgey while Jade followed close behind with mild curiosity. Pidgeot had flown off in some random direction to stretch its wings with permission from its master.

"The forest is so nice." said Rose as she walked alongside Delilah. The pavement stopped at a certain point, so there was only a dirt path leading to the forest.

Delilah merely shrugged.

"You don't like the forest?" asked Rose.

"I never said I didn't. I mean, I think all the bug pokemon you can find there are pretty cool and whatever, but I don't see what makes the forest itself so appealing."

Rose looked over at Delilah. "Well, I like nature. It's comforting. It's like… a way to escape, you know?"

"… Hippie."

The next few moments of silence were taken advantage of as Rose took everything in. She loved the smell of the moist grass and the feeling of fresh air on her face. She even enjoyed the various sounds coming from the wild pokemon that lived in the forest. It was an exhilarating experience.

Suddenly, Rose spoke up again.

"You know, you never told me where _you_ lived." She tried making eye contact with Delilah, but she didn't seem to want to look at her.

"Do you _need_ to know everything about me?"

"Well, no, but I want to at least learn the basics. I mean, we're traveling together and all, so I'd like to get to know you a bit. And besides," Delilah finally looked at her. "I told you plenty of things about myself."

She seemed to be thinking it over, then said "… I was born in Goldenrod City in the Johto region, and lived there for about 14 years. I've been living in Celadon City ever since."

"That was around the time Team Rocket took over the radio tower, right?" asked Rose, "I mean, when you lived in Goldenrod. I heard it on the news when I was little."

Nothing was said for a few moments as they passed by many trees. The forest thickened more and more as they went further in.

"That's right…" Delilah said in a small voice. She cleared her voice, sounding almost uncomfortable. "They didn't make it sound as severe on the news as it really was."

"But it wasn't all that severe, was it? I know they took over the radio station so they could broadcast this weird signal that forced weak pokemon to evolve when they heard it. I mean, that is pretty bad, but no lives were lost from what I heard."

"There was a hell of a lot more to it than that!" yelled Delilah as she stopped in her tracks and glared at Rose. Rose could have sworn she saw tears, but before she could say anything Delilah ran off further into the forest without her.

"Well, that's not good." said Rose mostly to herself. Now she felt uncomfortable with this unexpected event. Sage and Jade were still left behind, but the latter decided to hobble after its master as fast as her little legs would carry her.

Rose sighed and followed Jade deeper and deeper into the forest until they finally reached a clearing. The trees still grew close together here though, making it seem as though it were already late at night. A rustle from up above caused the three of them to look up. Delilah was sitting on a low branch staring off into space.

"Hey, are you okay?" asked Rose.

Delilah looked down with reddened eyes, but she hid her feelings with one of her usual smirks. _Oh God, I think I made her cry. _Rose thought to herself. _Great Rose, just great…_

"Come up here." Delilah said suddenly. "I gotta show you something."

Confused, Rose walked around the tree to try and find some footing. When she found a stable stump of a branch, she attempted to climb up. Sage stood under her as she made her slow descent, as if he were ready to catch her if she fell.

"Ugh, come here." Delilah said with impatience as she held out a helping hand. Rose grabbed it clumsily, trying to keep herself from falling with the other hand. She was pulled up with surprising strength and sat down with weak balance on the tree branch.

"Don't fall please. I don't need you crying on me again."

"I'm not stupid. You were crying not too long before I showed up."

"Just shut up and follow me." Delilah climbed even further up the tree, leaving Rose to look up at her with uncertainty.

"Um, I'm not sure about this." she said nervously as she saw how high up Delilah intended to go.

Delilah rolled her eyes and lent another hand. Rose shook from head to toe as she was led to another branch about thirty feet up. When they finally got to a branch that looked out over the tops of many shorter trees below, Rose hung on for dear life.

"Oh my god oh my god oh my god. I swear, if I fall…" She didn't finish her sentence, but continued to cling to the branch with her eyes closed.

"Oh stop it you baby! Open your eyes and look."

She finally opened her eyes to a breathtaking view up over the entire forest. The Indigo Plateau could be seen from their perch and the sun was hovering just above the huge pokeball shaped roof of the Pokemon League, which glistened brilliantly even from its location miles and miles away.

"Wow…" was all Rose could say as she looked on. "Um… what if I fall? I don't want to fall. Holy SHIT we're high up." She looked down as she said this, and saw her little blue dot of a pokemon looking up at her worriedly.

"Fine, get over here." Delilah said with a sigh.

Rose scooted over a fraction of an inch, careful not to lose her balance. But to her surprise, Delilah wrapped an arm firmly around her.

"There, now I'll make sure you don't fall."

Something strange crept in Rose's stomach, but she couldn't quite figure out what it was. It felt like she had a whole stomach full of butterflies, like what happens to every character in those stupid sappy love stories. It tingled and made her feel lightheaded, making her even more paranoid about her balance on the tree branch.

"Hey, it's okay kid, just relax. Jeez." Delilah gave her a reassuring squeeze, which loosened up her tensed muscles a bit.

"Please don't call me kid. I mean, I know you're older, but that doesn't mean I'm a kid. I'm 16 you know."

"Alright, then what should I call you? Actually, I don't believe I got your name yet."

"It's Rose, nothing else. I don't need a nickname."

It was silent for a moment as they sat there to watch the setting sun, which was turning the sky more pink and purple every minute.

"Sorry for running off on you like that. I don't know what got into me." said Delilah as she retightened her grip around Rose.

"Are you ever going to tell me what happened?" the other asked, feeling a bit more comfortable now that they were talking again.

Another moment of silence, then Delilah said "When Team Rocket arrived that day at Goldenrod, they started raiding houses. No one was killed, but for people like me they did even worse…"

She trailed off and cleared her throat, even though it didn't sound like it needed to be cleared. Rose took this as a nervous habit and said nothing else to her. She didn't need to know what happened; she could probably just guess anyway.

She wasn't sure what made her do it, or why she even bothered, but she rested her head gently on Delilah's shoulder, hoping she wouldn't be yelled at for it.

She could feel Delilah's head turn slightly to look down at her, then turn back to look at the view. She didn't seem to care either way what Rose did, to her relief.

"Thanks for everything, I really do owe you." said Rose in almost a whisper. She was falling asleep, but she didn't ever want to leave. She loved the view, especially since she was no longer afraid of falling. She felt a sense of security, even with someone who was almost a stranger to her. She never had anyone in her life who cared in even the least bit. This small act of affection, even if it only lasted a few moments, made her happy for once. She felt safe, like nothing could ever hurt her again.

Delilah merely nodded. The sun finally set in a brilliant display of purple and orange and pink and the only sounds that could be heard were those of woodland pokemon in the distance.

"Why did you bring me up here anyway?" inquired Rose as she lifted her head up a little. "I hardly know you and you were such a bitch to me earlier, now all of a sudden you're being nice to me."

"You looked like you needed a break. You told me all this crap about living in Pallet Town. I may not have ANY idea what it's like, seeing as I've lived in two of the biggest cities on the entire continent, but I felt like you deserved it. Besides, I wanted to share with you something that I don't share with most people."

This time, Rose lifted her head up completely and looked at Delilah, who was still staring at the distant plateau.

"My dream." said Delilah, as if reading her thoughts. "I want to go there," she pointed to the building, "to the Pokemon League. I have about two thirds of the badges I need to get there, I've just been sidetracked so it's taking a while. But someday I want to be good enough to become Champion… Do you ever train your pokemon?"

"All I have is Sage. I don't really train him though… I don't think I could. I mean, it's so new to me, all of this training stuff and whatever. My mother never taught me what I needed to know, and I never really felt comfortable with it."

"Why not?"

"Well, Sage is more like a friend to me. I could never use him to fight. Well, maybe he would like it, I dunno. I never really thought about it that much."

Delilah brushed the hair out of her face and looked down at the pokemon in question, who had dozed off at the base of the tree.

"You should try it sometime, and see how it goes." she said. "If you end up liking it, you can start getting your own badges. I'll even help."

"I need to think about it though. But thanks."

Again there was silence. But this was a much less awkward silence – a peaceful silence more than anything. The two of them sat there for who knows how long, until the sun finally disappeared below the horizon and the sounds of nocturnal pokemon rang through the chilly air.


	6. Drive

Chapter 6: Drive

Climbing back down the tall tree didn't seem anywhere near as scary as climbing up it. Rose even thought it was fun. Luckily, the one time she slipped and fell was the very last branch only about five feet from the ground. Delilah caught her of course, but ended up falling on her back with Rose in her arms.

An awkward position, if you could even call it that. Delilah was still holding Rose and Rose was right on top of Delilah.

"Woah woah, none of that here. Not in front of the pokemon." said Delilah with one of those damned evil smirks.

"I was NOT doing anything like THAT!" yelled Rose after she jumped up as fast as she could. "I just met you! Well, I mean, I wouldn't do anything like that even if I knew you that well!"

She shut up after she realized how red her face must have been getting. She could feel the heat of the blood rushing to her cheeks.

Delilah laughed as she walked over to where Jade was attempting to snuggle up to Sage. He, however, was fast asleep up against the rough bark of the tree. Rose picked him up and cradled him, then proceeded to walk back to the hotel without another word.

The room was pitch black when Rose opened the door, and she had trouble finding the light switch. After tripping over her new travel bag that Delilah got her, and swearing a bit in the process, she finally found it.

"Sage can sleep in the recliner, but I'm putting my pokemon back in their pokeballs." said Delilah as she returned Jade and Pidgeot.

Rose still did not say another word, but went straight to bed. After getting comfortable and snuggling under the covers, Delilah laid down next to her. She realized how awkward the situation was earlier, so she slept as far as she could from Rose to prevent any more yelling.

The morning came with its usual sweet-scented breeze. The light filled the room brightly from the large window and people could be heard outside. Rose was the first to wake up. She looked around the room and for a moment, did not know where she was. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, then suddenly remembered everything that happened the previous night. She looked over at Delilah, lost in a deep sleep on the other side of the bed, as if looking for proof that she was actually here in Viridian City and not back home in Pallet. Sage was curled up in a little ball on the recliner, twitching from time to time in response to whatever it was that he was dreaming about.

_I should at least cook breakfast for everyone, seeing as Delilah's helped me so much. _thought Rose as she got up and stretched. She noticed she had slept in the clothes she'd worn yesterday, but she didn't have anything else to wear anyway. She didn't really take this into account when she left, but she didn't have much to wear that didn't look like hobo clothes.

_Let's see what we have here. _She looked into the fridge at the few food items on the shelves and decided to choose the eggs. There wasn't any bacon, but she wasn't going to complain seeing as Delilah spent her own money on it all. _I hope I can do this. I've always kinda sucked at cooking._

She got out a frying pan from one of the shelves above her head, put it on the stove, then turned the burner on. When it got hot she added a little oil and then cracked the eggs over the pan. They landed on the surface in a goopy piled, then quickly turned white as they cooked.

Enticed by the smell, Sage finally waddled into the kitchen with his little legs. "Oh, hey there." said Rose. "Isn't it awesome? I'm cooking for everyone." She crouched down so she was at eye level with him. "Don't tell anyone I'm cooking for them, it's a surprise." She said this in a whisper, then winked at him. He merely tilted his head at her, but seemed to shrug it off as he watched her fill come plates up with the eggs. She hummed happily to herself while she worked.

Breakfast turned out pretty good in the end. Delilah even complimented Rose's cooking. Everyone ate happily, then quickly cleaned up.

Later on Rose found Delilah out on the balcony by herself, staring down at the people walking by. She seemed to be spacing out an awful lot this morning.

"We should go check up on that Houndour we brought to the Pokemon Center." Rose said as she walked out onto the balcony.

"Huh? Oh, yeah…" She continued to stare.

Rose stood next to her for a moment, taking in the beautiful spring air, then said "We should go now, so we can see how she's doing."

"You can go ahead, I want to stay here. I don't feel like going out."

Rose and Sage left in silence without her. It seemed strange to them, going out by themselves. They were so used to having the bossy snappy Delilah accompanying them everywhere they went, even though they had only just met early yesterday afternoon.

"Do you think there's something wrong with her?" Rose asked her little blue companion. He threw up his arms as if to say "I don't know".

She thought it over for a moment. "Maybe I did something to make her upset. Or maybe she's just having a bad day… But it's only 10 o' clock. It's too early to say you've had a bad day, don't you think so?" Sage looked up at her. "Todo?" was his only response.

Rose sighed, finally making it to the bottom of the stairs and walking to the front door. She wished Delilah had come with her to at least make sure she wouldn't get lost. She was completely new to this town; or any town for that matter.

They reached the Pokemon Center, which seemed more packed now than it had been yesterday. The creepy lady with the Hoothoot came back, but every other face was unfamiliar. Again, Rose noticed some pokemon she didn't know and some that she had only heard of from books or other people. Of course she knew what a Pikachu was. A young trainer with black hair and a hat was sitting in one of the chairs with one on his shoulder.

After walking around and through and past many people, Rose finally got to the front desk where Nurse Joy was looking something up on the computer. "Um… I came here for the Houndour I brought here yesterday…" she said in a weak voice. She wasn't too good with talking to people.

"Oh, I remember you!" said the nurse brightly. "The Houndour is doing just fine. She's recovering fast and we're trying her with walking right now. Unfortunately, she's not ready to be taken home with you. She needs physical therapy before anything so she can cope with only having three legs to walk with, and she's only a baby. If you have your trainer's license you can most certainly take care of her yourself after the five months of therapy. But if you don't have it, then I'm afraid she has to be sent to Professor Oak for proper care."

Rose swore under her breath at this. She didn't have a trainer's license. She didn't even think she's need one for a situation like this. She figured it was perfectly fine to catch and raise and fight pokemon without it. But of course, why would they have them then?

"Sorry ma'am, I don't have a license." She didn't wait for a response. She just walked out with Sage following close behind.

"Well, this sucks." she said to no one in particular. She kicked up a rock angrily, but realized it had shot off in some random direction and hit a young man in the leg nearby. He turned around with a scowl, then began walking up to Rose. There was something strange about him. His outfit. He wore an all-black shirt with a big red R imprinted on the front and a hat to match. Rose could have sworn she'd seen someone like this before, but she couldn't quite remember.

Before she knew it, her upper arm was being grabbed hard. "You having issues kicking rocks at people?" asked the man as he pulled her face close to his. He had a husky voice that seemed too deep for someone who looked so young. "Do you even realize who I am and what I could do to you?" Rose could only shake her head. She could hear Sage growling behind her, then saw as he ran up to the offending stranger and bit down as hard as he could on his leg.

"OUCH! You little shit!" the man screamed as he tried kicking the Totodile off.

Suddenly, a flock of people had surrounded the scene to see what was happening. Some looked ready to fight the man after seeing him grab Rose. The man looked around angrily at everyone around him, and then said "You'll ALL be sorry, you see!" He stomped away, pulling his hat over his eyes in an almost corny dramatic fashion.

"Who the hell was that?" asked Rose as she watched him leave. She rubbed her arm where he had grabbed her. It was most likely bruised from what she could feel. "Come on Sage, let's head back." She picked up the pokemon and let him ride on her shoulder the whole way home. She was more than thankful he had saved her when he did.

Delilah was sitting in the recliner when Rose had arrived back at the hotel room. She had her nose buried in some book, but looked up when she heard the door shut.

"So where's the mutt?" asked Delilah, referring to the Houndour of course.

Rose explained what had happened at the Pokemon Center, then told her about the mysterious man in black with the large R on his shirt.

"Team Rocket." Delilah said angrily when she heard this.

"Team Rocket? Here in Viridian City? What do they want here?"

"I'm not too sure, but we really need to be careful. I can't really say that we need to leave, because they can be anywhere. Team Rocket members aren't easily avoided. But I thought they retreated after the radio tower incident in Goldenrod…"

"There's gotta be a reason they've come back."

"The only thing I can think of is that what they want isn't here, but in another town. They may be just cutting through here to get there. That's the only thing I can think of that makes sense."

A few minutes passed as they tried to think of what to do. Rose needed to get the package delivered for Professor Oak, but going to such a big town so far away when there were Team Rocket members around was too risky. How did they know that Team Rocket wasn't heading straight towards Saffron City right this moment?

"I'd say we just continue the way we've been going." Delilah said suddenly. "If something big were happening, we'd know it watching the news. If anything did happen, then we can worry about it."

Rose nodded, not sure if it was a good idea or not. But that's life – it's all about taking risks. The best thing to do was to let whatever happens happen, and then try to do something about it. There was no cause for concern right now.

"Are we heading for the next town today," asked Rose, "or are we going to wait? I'm kinda excited about seeing new places right now."

"I'd rather get outta here as soon as I can. I'm on my way back to Celadon to visit my mom."

"If you live in Celadon, then why are you all the way over here?" Rose seemed to be full of questions about Delilah.

"This is where I ended up when I flew here from New Bark Town, which is in the Johto region. I went there to have Professor Birch check my pokedex."

"Oh wow, you have a pokedex?!"

"Uhh, yeah, I'm a trainer. You know that though, I told you I had badges and that I planned on going to the Pokemon League some day."

Rose was suddenly excited. "Can I see your pokedex? Please please please??"

With a sigh, Delilah pulled out the small red device from her pocket. "Don't break it."

Rose stared in awe at what she had in her hands. She'd never seen one before. She turned it on and quickly found out how to get to the list of pokemon from the menu. 187 pokemon seen and 35 caught. That wasn't too bad. Well, the numbers seemed high to Rose, but she didn't know how many pokemon there were in the world.

She noticed Totodile wasn't registered into the pokedex, so she pointed it towards Sage, who was sitting on the floor watching TV. Delilah helped her find the right button, then a voice came out of the device that made Rose jump a little.

_Totodile, the big jaw pokemon. It has a feisty but happy nature and will latch onto anything it can with its strong jaws. Even a playful nip can be quite painful._

"Well, I know that's a load of bull." said Rose as she closed the pokedex. "Sage wouldn't hurt anyone. He's never bitten me or anything at all."

"That's because you don't train the thing. It doesn't know how to fight. And when there comes a time when you'll need his help, he won't be able to save your ass."

"I think the way I raise Sage is just fine. He doesn't need to fight."

Sage looked over when he noticed his name mentioned. "Toto-toto-dile?" he said with a tilt of his head.

"I still think you should train him." said Delilah with an "end-of-story" sound in her voice. She got up off the recliner, slightly annoyed with the interruption of her reading. "If you want to leave today, we can pack up now. All we have left for food is canned, so we can bring it with us."

Rose nodded. "That sounds good. What town are we headed for next?"

"Pewter City… You know, if you didn't have the damn bike we could swim if you evolved that damn Totodile."

"No way, Sage wouldn't want to evolve! And I like him the way he is, thank you very much." Rose folded her arms.

Delilah scoffed, then made her way to the kitchen to start packing for the journey ahead. Rose went in to help, only to be pushed away. "I can handle this, just go sit down somewhere and stay outta my way."

Rose waited for her to get done, pacing around the room anxiously. She wanted to get out and continue on her journey. There was so much more out there to see. She looked over at Sage, who was sitting on the bed patiently. He looked up at her with mild interest. "You don't want to fight like all those other pokemon, do you? I mean, you're not a fighter. You're Sage." He still looked up at her without saying a word. Rose sighed, giving up on her one-way conversation. Besides, he didn't understand a word she said anyway.

After what felt like hours to Rose, Delilah brought her travel bag out. It was packed with their remaining food for the journey ahead.

"We might as well leave right now if we wanna get there at a decent time." she said, slinging the bag over her shoulder and grabbing Rose's. "But when we get there, we're staying overnight and that's it. If we both want to get to where we're headed, then we're going to have to go straight through without stopping for any longer than we need to. I have things to get done, you have things to get done, and I'm only helping you along because we just happen to be going the same way."

Rose shrugged. "Whatever floats your boat." She gave up on pondering her travel partner's mood swings.

Delilah went downstairs, with the others following behind, and gave up the hotel room key. They wouldn't need it again.

After everything was set and everyone was ready to go, they all went outside. Rose's bike was chained to a tree, courtesy of Delilah as usual. Rose unlocked it and hopped on. Sage hopped onto her shoulder, careful not to dig his claws into the delicate wood of the guitar on her back. Delilah released Pidgeot, who trilled happily and stretched its wings, then hopped on its back.

Pidgeot took off like a rocket when it was given the word. Rose took off after the speeding bird towards Viridian Forest, ready to face any obstacle that came their way. She glanced over her shoulder for a quick second at the town growing smaller and smaller. _Goodbye Viridian City..._ she thought as she pedaled on as fast as she could.


	7. Headstrong

Chapter 7: Headstrong

The wind felt refreshing on Rose's face as she pedaled on with the speed of a bullet. Delilah was just overhead. It felt great to be back in the road – next stop was Pewter City, but they would have to cut through the Viridian Forest to get there. Rose had no idea how far they were from their destination point, but she didn't care. Traveling was the most amazing experience she had ever, well, experienced.

It was as though a thick blanket had been thrown over them as they entered the forest once again. The entire area was one huge shadow cast by countless tree all around. Rose slowed down slightly so she could watch for low-hanging branches.

Weaving in and out of tree, Rose and Delilah kept on going without stopping, until…

_SCREEEECH._

Rose stopped dead in her tracks, causing Delilah to circle around and come back down to Earth to see what was going on.

A hundred, maybe even a thousand giant red spider pokemon surrounded them from all sides. They had bright yellow legs and huge jaws. They were _everywhere _– on the ground, in the trees, and everywhere in between.

"Delilah… what the hell are those…?" asked Rose as she tried to back up slowly.

"Ariados." responded Delilah in a whisper. "A whole fucking colony of 'em. Luckily, they're nocturnal. It looks like every one of them is sleeping. As long as we're quiet we can sneak past them. Get off the bike and walk with me."

Rose did as she was told with no argument; she wasn't exactly looking forward to being spider dinner. She crept as quietly as possible past the slumbering spiders, looking at her feet most of the time to make sure she didn't trip. The Ariados had to have been at least three feet in length, which certainly did not make them seem any less intimidating. Bright yellow and purple striped legs hung limply at their sides as they slept.

Suddenly, a long sticky web shot out from somewhere at ground level and caught Rose around the ankles. She fell straight on her back and felt herself being dragged.

"Delilah! HELP!" she screamed as she saw, what seemed to be the biggest of the Ariados, pulling her in.

Unfortunately, Delilah was surrounded by the now awakened pokemon. Pidgeot fought off as many as he could, and it seemed to be working.

Sage, with all of his courage, stood in front of the largest Ariados in an attempt to save his friend from being eaten. He shot an extremely powerful blast of water from his mouth, breaking the sticky web.

The Ariados, now furious, snapped its strong jaws together threateningly and scurried after Sage as fast as it could. Luckily, Sage was just a little bit faster as he ran, trying to lead the Ariados away from the others.

The attacking pokemon finally caught up a few yards away and snapped at Sage's tail. Sage spun around and, with all the strength his little body could muster, headbutt the Ariados.

It reeled backwards in a clumsy daze, giving one last threatening hiss before scurrying off and up into a tree. The others followed suit, obviously seeing the largest one as their leader.

"Oh wow Sage, that was amazing!" Rose ran to her little blue companion and hugged him close. Sage seemed proud of what he had done. "Delilah, are you okay??"

With an unsteady balance, Delilah got up off the ground where she was laying. There were two large puncture marks on her upper arm where one of the Ariados must have bitten her.

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine." she said as she swayed a bit. "It's just a little bite, nothing serious…"

She trailed off and had a blank look to her eyes, then to Rose's horror she dropped to the ground like a stone.


	8. Hero

Chapter 8: Hero

_Oh God… You _better_ not be dead…_

Rose's thoughts swirled and spun in confusion. She had no clue what to do for her new companion. Sage looked on worriedly as Rose freaked out over the fainted Delilah. She couldn't bring her to a hospital on the bike and Pidgeot couldn't carry all of them. The only thing she could possibly think of was to abandon her brand-new bike, attempt to lift Delilah's dead weight, and walk the rest of the way. It was difficult, but there didn't seem to be anymore options than that.

With quite some effort, Rose lifted Delilah up off the ground and cradled her. It wasn't as hard as it seemed once she got her in a manageable position in her arms. Rose looked at her unmoving face for a moment. _Wow… I never noticed how pretty she looked until now._ she thought as she stared. _Ugh, wow Rose, you're such a weirdo._ She looked away towards Sage, who looked ready to go. Pidgeot was close behind Rose to make sure its master was going to be okay.

They started slowly towards whichever way Rose could vaguely remember they were heading. It was hard, seeing as she could recognize no distinguishable features on any of the trees or rocks or shrubbery. She could already tell this was going to be a very, very, very long day.

A whole mile or so away, Rose and the others stopped at a small pond they came across. She sat down on a log nearby, but refused to put Delilah down anywhere. She still held her in her arms with the utmost care, as if she were fragile china doll. Given the circumstances at the moment, this would be the best way to treat her. Rose had no clue what to do for spider poison, never mind poison from a gargantuan spider pokemon. She hoped to God that it wasn't fatal.

She shifted her weight to make herself more comfortable._ No offense, but you're fucking heavy._ she thought. She realized she was staring at Delilah's face again, but she just couldn't seem to look away. The round, almost flawless face, the long brown hair that hung around her shoulders… It was all just too irresistible.

Rose suddenly thought of those stupid romancy movies where someone would be sleeping, and then someone else who was in love with that person would steal a kiss from them so they wouldn't know. _Wow._ thought Rose as she tried to shake the thought from her head. _No wonder Delilah thinks you're nuts half the time._

She tried to distract herself from the temptations and fantasies of hers by watching Sage play in the pond. He splashed around cutely, chasing any Magikarp he saw swim by his feet.

They couldn't stay for too long though; it would most likely start getting dark by the time they made it out of the forest. Rose, with renewed strength and this thought in mind, got up off the log with Delilah limp in her arms. "Come on Sage, we have to go now." Sage looked disappointed as he waded out of the water and shook himself off.

"Hey buddy, do me a favor. You see the pokeballs on Delilah's belt? Can you let Jade out? It's only fair, since Pidgeot is out."

The Totodile nodded and did as he was asked. In a flash of light, the little Nidoran was released from her ball. She looked happy as ever to see Sage, but Sage felt the exact opposite. He walked close to Rose's ankles, trying to avoid the cuddly Jade. The three of them walked on with Pidgeot soaring just overhead.

A few hours passed and in that time, Rose began to feel the effects of dehydration. _Shit._ _I should have gotten some water at that damn pond. I'm so fucking stupid._ She walked slower and slower with each passing minute and found that she had to sit down before she was out cold as well. _I gotta find something I can use… I'm not gonna make it outta here._

She put Delilah down delicately and turned her over to take her backpack off. She opened the top flap and rummaged inside for anything she could possibly use to get herself out of this mess. She found a notebook and a pen, and then an idea suddenly dawned on her. She jotted down a quick message with shaking hands: _WE'RE LOST IN VIRIDIAN FOREST, HELP US._

"Pidgeot, come here please." she called out to the skies. The huge bird swooped down upon hearing its name and landed gracefully in front of Rose, who pulled out a hair elastic she found in the bag. She rolled up the note and tied it to the Pidgeot's leg, then sent him off to Pewter City. She hoped it wouldn't take too long for him to get help.

Sage seemed to grow a little more comfortable around Jade, who snuggled up to him without a problem. He sat there with a look of subtle indifference, finally having given up on running from his admirer. Rose sat on a large rock strumming her guitar quietly while Delilah laid next to her. She mumbled a song to get herself to stay conscious.

_Then a hero comes along  
__With the strength to carry on  
__And you cast your fears aside  
__And you know you can survive  
__So when you feel like hope is gone  
__Look inside you and be strong  
__And you'll finally see the truth  
__That a hero lies in you…_

She trailed off after every verse, feeling her head spinning. She needed something to hydrate her before she completely passed out, but she had no clue where the next water source was. She couldn't even stand up anymore.

Sage saw his friend's distress and immediately went over to comfort her. He sat down next to her feet. "Toto-toto dile-dile. Toto." he said, even though he knew she could not understand him. Nevertheless, he tried the best he could. Rose smiled weakly at him. "Thanks."

Sundown came faster than either of them had expected. In what seemed like mere minutes, the entire forest was ringing with the usual nighttime sounds. An owl could be heard nearby, and a few bug pokemon would fly by from time to time.

At this time, Rose had decided to lay right next to Delilah as if someone were going to steal her. She had one arm wrapped tight around her body in an attempt to keep her warm, since they had no bonfire. Sage and Jade cuddled up close to Rose, who shivered madly.

_Dammit, someone needs to get here NOW._ She thought back on when she sent Pidgeot away. She hoped nothing happened to it. She worried that something happened to the note, or maybe Pidgeot didn't know the way. Thoughts like this were what kept Rose fully awake and scared for her life.

_We'll get out of here, I know it. I mean, this forest doesn't go on forever. We've got to come out somewhere._ The only way to keep herself sane was to keep thinking these things over and over again, even if it weren't true.

Soon, the two pokemon fell asleep. Rose forced herself to stay awake so she could keep an eye on Delilah. She checked her breathing and her pulse from time to time just to make sure she was okay. That wasn't too hard since Delilah's breath came out in little clouds of steam. The temperature had dropped so drastically since that afternoon.

Suddenly, Rose's eyelids began to feel heavy. She allowed her head to rest on Delilah's chest, which moved up and down slowly in time with her breathing. Shapes and colors swirled together in her mind as she fell into a deep sleep.

_She felt herself floating, high up above the Indigo Plateau where she saw Delilah struggling to get to the Pokemon League just ahead. There were swarms and swarms of Ariados that came out of nowhere, ready to attack. But Rose was able to swoop down and pick up Delilah in her arms. They soared out of sight, away from everything. They were far away where no pokemon or humans could be seen for miles – still flying. Delilah clung to her savior, who finally landed in the middle of a clearing where it was just the two of them alone…_

A blindingly bright light disrupted the dream as the sun cut through the trees. Rose opened her eyes to the blurry scenery around her. She was still in the woods, still holding the unconscious Delilah. She lifted her head up as much as she could against the dizzy sensation to look around. Nothing had changed, so what she had dreamt the previous night really was a dream.

The sound of twigs crunching underfoot caused her hair to stand on end. She looked around at the rows and rows of trees, but could see no one. The sound came closer and closer and grew louder and louder. Finally, a figure stepped into the clearing from behind a tree. He was a tall older man with a goatee. With him were two huge dog pokemon with reddish-orange fur.

"I heard you needed help." the man said.

Rose was speechless. She had no clue what to say or do, so she sat there on the ground with her mouth slightly open.

"I'm here to help, don't be scared." he said in a calming voice as he stepped closer. "I got your message from your Pidgeot and we've been looking for you all night."

"We" must have been referring to both him and his two huge pokemon. They panted heavily and sniffed the dirt around them.

"My Arcanine here will bring you guys to safety. It looks like your friend is hurt there." He pointed to the motionless Delilah, whose breathing seemed to have weakened since last night.

Rose couldn't say anything. Her throat was too dry and she was too weak to make the effort. She allowed herself to be gently picked up by this stranger and put onto the back of one of the Arcanine. Delilah was then picked up and placed on the other. Sage and Jade slept soundly, but were woken up. Sage growled, but the reassuring voice of the man calmed him down.

Once everyone was seated, the man mounted the Arcanine that was carrying Delilah so he could make sure she wouldn't fall. When he gave the word, the two hounds ran off at lightning speed through the thick forest.

It only took a few minutes for them to finally come out of Viridian Forest, to Rose's relief. She held on as tightly as her weakened body could to the soft white mane of the Arcanine. It looked like it was flying while the wind swept through its fur. Its paws made almost no sound as its legs carried it at lightning speed.

Soon they arrived at Pewter City and went straight for a small house somewhere near the south. The man dismounted his Arcanine, then carried Delilah into the house. Rose was helped by someone who had come out of the house – a much older woman with short blonde hair. She led Rose through the front door, supporting her with one arm. Jade and Sage followed them inside.

The house was filled with some kind of strange but sweet smell. Two beds with freshly cleaned sheets could be seen in the upper left corner next to a door. There was a tray with wheels on it carrying numerous medical tools. Next to that was a bookshelf in the other corner filled with various bottles of liquid.

Delilah was placed carefully on the bed furthest from the wall, Rose on the other. She was immediately given a drink, which she gulped down greedily. She then watched as the woman brought the tray over to Delilah's bed along with a chair. Sage and Jade sat on the foot of Rose's bed, looking on curiously.

The man looked at Rose from over the woman's shoulder. "Do you know how this girl got injured?" he asked. Rose explained the story of the Ariados attack.

The woman looked over at her husband, then to Rose's confusion he said to her "_Elle a été mordue par un Ariados._" Sage tilted his head, just as confused as Rose. Jade was oblivious to everything as she snuggled up to him. Rose assumed the language being spoken was French, though she couldn't be sure. But she was polite enough not to ask about it. She thought it sounded odd, like someone with water stuck in their nose.

The woman motioned towards the shelf. The man walked over to it and grabbed two bottles and placed them on the tray. He and Rose watched her as she poured some of the contents from one bottle onto the wound, which looked horribly infected, then wrapped it up tight. The other bottle was emptied into Delilah's mouth, probably to act as an antivenom.

"Is she going to be okay?" Rose asked, still worried for her companion. She couldn't exactly call her a friend; she had just met her.

"She should be fine once she gets some rest." said the man. "She passed out because the strength of the venom caused her body to go into shock, but the venom works slowly while the victim is unconscious. The antivenom will get it out of her system long before she dies."

"Thank you so much sir!" Rose said with a sigh of relief. "What's your name by the way?"

"Just call me Geoffrey. My wife and I part of a rescue team for the Viridian Forest, because novice trainers have been known to get lost or injured there trying to get to Pewter City. You both are lucky we came when we did. You probably wouldn't have made it out."

Rose remembered the previous night, and the horrible feeling of just barely hanging on. She remembered Delilah, and how she could have died too. She may have just met her, but she was still just as scared as if she were a well-known friend. They were, in fact, _very_ lucky to have been found that morning, though they could have just as well died overnight.

These thoughts stuck in Rose's mind as she made herself comfortable in the bed and fell into another deep sleep.


	9. Code Red, part 1

_(A/N: ) Readers are going to kill me for this chapter, that's all I'm going to say…_

Chapter 9: Code Red, pt. 1

_Again, Rose was back in the dream in the middle of the woods with Delilah. Not a sound could be heard around them for miles – they were completely alone. But to Rose's disappointment, Delilah didn't seem to want to stay there. Instead, she took Rose's hand and led her down a dirt path much like the one headed towards Viridian City, only this time the trees were so much thicker and there were no attacks from wild pokemon._

_After a few moments they were running, but no wind could be felt and they didn't get fatigued. They just kept running and running and running along this mysterious path to wherever it was they were headed._

_Suddenly, something in the road caused Rose to trip and fall on her stomach, knocking the wind out of her. The grip she had on Delilah's hand somehow slipped on her way down, so Delilah ended up running a few feet ahead before noticing her fallen friend._

_As she tried running back to help Rose up, the ground split in two and separated like a huge gaping mouth. Rose screamed for help from the other side, which was drifting further and further from Delilah, but no sound came out of her mouth._

_Behind her, some monstrous thing cast a huge shadow all around her. She couldn't see what it was that emerged from behind the trees, but it sounded vicious. Its heavy footsteps could be heard getting closer and closer…_

Rose sprang up from her pillow, causing her head to spin. She shut her eyes as tight as she could until the feeling went away, then opened them again. She saw Delilah lying down next to her, but amazingly her emerald eyes were finally open.

"You were mumbling my name in your sleep you know." she said with a weak smirk. She looked and sounded very tired. "What the hell kinda dream were _you_ having??"

Rose blushed, but she wasn't sure why. "It was nothing like _that_!" she said defiantly. "It's none of your business anyway."

She turned away in mock stubbornness, then heard Delilah say "Thanks. You know, for helping me. Geoffrey told me about the note you sent to him with Pidgeot. You could have just left my ass there and went on by yourself."

"You have no clue what I went through last night." Rose said. But she didn't have any anger in her voice. Delilah gave her a questioning look, which quickly turned to surprised as Rose explained the entire ordeal the previous night.

"You freakin' _carried_ me?? Are you nuts?"

"You had me scared like you wouldn't believe!" said Rose as she got up angrily. "The least you could do is thank me!"

The last few words got caught in her throat and she felt like she was going to cry. She turned away with her eyes full of angry tears, but she didn't even know _why_.

Delilah shrugged this off without saying a single word. Geoffrey walked in through the door next to her bed with a tray of food for two. He set it down on her lap and asked her how she was doing, then changed her bandages for her. While this was going on, Rose decided to sit in the furthest corner where Sage and Jade ate their breakfast happily. She noticed her guitar was leaning up against the wall here, but she couldn't remember putting it there. She looked it over a few times to make sure it hadn't been scratched up or cracked. It looked fine, so Rose gave a sigh of relief.

"Your food's gonna get cold you know." said Delilah from the other end of the room.

"Whatever." was Rose's only response.

Her food was indeed getting cold, but Delilah was "nice" enough to eat it for her. The two of them sat in angry silence for most of the afternoon until Rose finally decided she couldn't take it anymore.

"Are there any good places to see here?" she asked Geoffrey, who was cleaning out some old medicine bottles.

"Well, the Museum of Science is pretty interesting." he responded. "It's at the northern-most part of town, not too far from here."

"Alright, thanks." With those last words, she got up from the chair and immediately walked out. Sage stood up quickly without finishing his food and followed her out.

Today seemed to be a lot cooler than the previous day. Light grey clouds filled the skies and the wind blew a little harder than usual. It also seemed ominously quiet. However, Rose finally had the opportunity to see Pewter City. She could see the gym from where she stood, but without a trainer's license she could not fight there. All she could do was admire the large brick building, which looked worn and dirty with old age. Still, it seemed to stand strong.

The path inclined more as it went on past the gym towards the museum, but it could easily be seen from the bottom of the hill. It looked so much newer than any other building here – it had large glass front doors and a huge shingled roof. Rose raced Sage to the top of the hill for fun, and when they got there they finally realized just how big this building was. It was about the size of your average college, height-wise, and it was built with neatly placed red bricks. A few cement steps led right up to the front doors.

Rose and Sage both went inside and were greeted immediately by an elderly man from behind a desk. "Good afternoon and welcome to the Museum of Science." he said with a croaky voice. He was so frail-looking and had almost snow-white hair on his head. He had to have been at least 60 years old. "It's $10 to get in unless you have a free pass." Rose checked her pockets, not expecting any of this. Surprised, she found the money she made from the day before when she had played her guitar. She unfolded the wrinkly bills and handed the right amount to the man.

A younger, very shady-looking man motioned her to come through. Rose watched him carefully as she walked through, also looking out for Sage out of the corner of her eye. The man looked like he was up to no good – plotting something. The strangest thing about Rose was that she could read people like a book. Every glance, every smirk, every turn of the head… She knew just by observing that someone was either the good guy or the bad guy. This man, with his strange trenchcoat and hat, definitely looked like either a pedophile or a murderer.

But Rose didn't stick around to find out which one it was. Instead, she walked right on over to a glass display case. There were various pokemon fossils inside and a little description of each posted next to it. Rose picked up Sage so he could see as well. Pieces of bones and teeth were laid out neatly on the white surface, which looked like they had belonged to gargantuan carnivores from long ago.

A feeling of unease swirled in Rose's stomach and she looked around for the cause. There were a handful of people walking here and there, some with kids. No matter how much she looked around and tried to reassure herself that nothing would happen, Rose just couldn't shake the strange feeling. Sage must have felt it too, because he became restless in her arms. The man, who was originally standing at his post near the front entrance, looked as though he had moved closer to the two of them. He stood less than ten feet away, leaning on another display case and tapping his fingers on it. He didn't look at her at all, but at the other people walking to and from different displays in the museum.

To get away from the paranoia, Rose decided to climb a set of stairs she noticed up into the next room. Here was where they kept models of space shuttles and some samples of strange moon rocks. There were a few people here as well, happily leading their children throughout the room to see everything. Rose was about to check out a display nearby containing a moonstone when she heard someone scream. Turning around quickly, she saw the mysterious man from the front desk and three other men with him. Each of them, she noticed, had a gun in his hand. Of these four men in total, was the Team Rocket member she had encountered about three days ago in Viridian City.

The biggest and buffest man approached Rose slowly. She tried to back up, but they quickly surrounded her on all sides.

"We hear you have a certain package you're supposed to be delivering to Saffron City." said one of the men to the left of her. She held onto Sage, though he struggled a bit. He seemed ready to fight each and every one of them, though he obviously didn't get the concept of being outnumbered.

Rose refused to respond, which caused the mysterious man to lash out and grab her by the neck. Her windpipe was completely squeezed shut and bright lights flashed in her head.

"You're going to give us that package little girl." said the man in a low, raspy voice as he squeezed harder and harder.

"I don't THINK so asshole!" came a familiar yell from behind him.

Before he could react, a small greenish-blue pokemon came out of nowhere and tackled the man with much force. He stumbled and fell on his back, but then immediately pointed his gun at his attacker. It was Delilah, along with her faithful Jade.

The mysterious man got back up on his feet with some difficulty. He, along with one other person, pointed his gun at Delilah and the remaining two had theirs pointed at Rose.

"No one is to move!" said the Rocket member Rose had met earlier. She noticed the women and children up on this floor huddled in the corner for fear of being shot. A little girl was crying while her mother held her and spoke calming words to her.

"You're going to hand over that package, and I _know _you know what I'm talking about. You're to come quietly, you _and_ your pokemon, and no one will get hurt."

Without knowing what else to do, Rose and Delilah gave in to the men. The biggest man approached Rose.

"I'll be taking this guy off your hands, thank you very much." he said, and in one fluid motion he grabbed Sage and held his muzzle shut with a strong hand.

"NO! Don't hurt him, please!" Rose yelled, watching in horror as her companion was manhandled.

"Oh don't worry, he won't get hurt if you cooperate. Try anything and the croc goes bye-bye."

Tears flooded Rose's eyes, but she tried as hard as she could to keep herself together. "Don't fight it Sage," she said, "just let them do whatever and we'll get out of here alive, okay?"

Sage looked more than just angry. The little red spikes on his back even seemed to stiffen and his red eyes burned with rage as he growled fiercely. But he did nothing to harm the man restraining him. One huge human arm was wrapped around his chest and his little arms were pinned to his body. His mouth was still held shut, but part of his lip was caught in between his teeth and he could do nothing about it. A small bead of dark red blood formed on the side of his mouth.

Jade was also picked up and restrained, but she gave in as soon as the man touched her. She shook like a scared puppy in his arms and cried out a little, which only caused the man to squeeze harder.

Once they were ready, the Team Rocket members pushed Rose and Delilah out of the museum and interrogated them about where the package would be. They would have to give in for now and somehow come up with a plan when they could.

Rose had no choice but to tell them where Geoffrey and his wife's house was. She had to assume they would not be harmed unless they didn't cooperate - there was no other option. Onward they walked, down the steep hill and past some worried onlookers until they got to the house.

A friendly knock would have helped, but Team Rocket apparently had other methods of getting in. The burliest of them, the one holding Sage, kicked the door in with one large foot. Geoffrey, who was still sitting in the same seat he'd been in earlier, sprang up immediately and dropped the glass bottles he was working on refilling.

"What's going on here??" he demanded.

"Just doing our job here sir." said one of the men. "We're here to get something and it's nothing of yours, so don't worry. Just keep quiet and you won't get hurt." He cocked his gun to emphasize is point.

"Alright, show us where it is." the huge man ordered. Rose went straight for her backpack, which sat on one of the chairs in the corner, opened the top flap, and took out the only object inside. She handed the box over to the nearest man, who took it greedily.

It was then handed over to the mysterious man, who seemed to be the leader of the group. He held it like a priceless antique, then tore open the paper. He took the top off of the little box and looked inside. Neither Delilah nor Rose could see what it was from where they stood, but they knew it had to be of some value judging by the expression on the Rocket member's face. The others gathered around to look at it.

"We should most definitely bring this to the boss," said the leader, "but we can't let these guys pull something funny. We need to dispose of them."

Rose's eyes widened. "You said we wouldn't be harmed if you got what you wanted!" she yelled. "You have the damn package, isn't that good enough??"

The man seemed to think it over, though he did this in a sarcastic way, then said "Naw, I wouldn't want word to get out that we have this. Boys, tie 'em up."

One of the men took out a few pokeballs and released three large grass-type pokemon. "Alright Ivysaur, use Vine Whip to tie these guys up!" The green pokemon did as they were told as three sets of vines, thick as rope, came out from their flowered backs and wrapped themselves tightly around Rose, Delilah, and Geoffrey. To Rose's horror, two sacks were taken out of the leader's trenchcoat, in which Sage and Jade were put.

"No! Let them go, please!!" begged Rose as she tried to fight against the vines. They were nearly suffocating her.

"Don't worry, these guys'll be useful for Team Rocket." said the leader. "We'll train 'em to be fighters and have them work for us. Alright guys, let's move!"

They were all led outside where four huge pokemon stood waiting. They looked like orangey-red dinosaurs with wings and flames on the tips of their tails. They got down on all fours, expectantly waiting to be used as transportation.

Rose was scooped up by one man and sat onto one of the dinosaurs' great back while the Ivysaur restraining her got on too. It unwrapped her for just a minute while one of the men ordered her to get on her back, which she did reluctantly. Then the Ivysaur re-tied his vines around her and the pokemon's thick lower neck, but only tight enough to keep her from falling in mid-flight. This was done to Delilah and Geoffrey as well. As for the sacks containing the pokemon, the burly man held them both in one hand and hopped onto his own winged dinosaur.

When each Rocket member was seated and each prisoner was tied down, the large pokemon spread their wings out and took off straight up into the air. Rose could see nothing but the cloudy sky, which was a very good thing since she hated heights. Off they sped towards the east, which was probably where Saffron City was. Rose wasn't so sure, seeing as she had no knowledge of the geography of the continent.

Rose closed her eyes as it began raining, and tried to image what was going through Delilah's mind the entire ride. She hadn't said anything since she attempted to save her once again from danger. Now Rose wished she hadn't been such a bitch to her that morning – she saved her life _twice_, plus did so much more for her. Carrying her unconscious body for hours through the Viridian Forest was nothing - Rose didn't even make it out on her own.

The rain began falling harder and harder until Rose was soaked and slightly shivering. She would have probably been shivering even worse if it weren't for the fact that she was bound by the thick vines.

Suddenly, she felt a strange sensation in her stomach as the large pokemon swooped down for landing. Her head spun as it landed hard on its feet and stood upright quickly. She noticed the little flame on its tail, still burning even in the rain. It must have been _very_ hot fire.

Saffron City was HUGE, even though Rose could only see a part of it from where she was. She was released and let down, but immediately had a gun put to her back by the leader.

"Just walk this way please." he ushered impatiently. "We'll find a way to get rid of you soon enough." All of the Rocket members returned their pokemon and walked on.

They were all forcibly led throughout the paved roads of the city. It seemed that every time Rose came to a new town, she was either hurt or in trouble.

_Just my luck. _she thought to herself as she walked on. _Shoulda just stayed at the fucking hotel Rose. But nope, you just _had _to keep going because you were _so_ damn interested in seeing new places. You're such an idiot._

She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't realize they had made it to their destination. It was a HUGE skyscraper in the middle of the city with large glass windows in which many offices could be seen. Innocent people sitting at desks doing some kind of paper or computer work – they had no clue what was going on.

The three captives were pretty much pushed through the front doors of the building. Security guards stood there, but immediately backed down when guns had been drawn on them first. The main lobby was huge and spacious. To Rose's surprise, there was a marble fountain in the middle of the tiled floor. But she had no chance to stop and look at it as she was forced to keep moving. Up the stairs they went for what seemed like hours until they finally reached the top floor. Here was the executive office, where the head of Silph Co. was (Rose deduced this from a simple sign on the wall).

"What is the meaning of this??" demanded the executive as he stood up quickly from behind his desk. Beside him was a pokemon that looked a lot like a miniature Arcanine, orange fur and all. It growled upon seeing the intruders.

"I have the package dear old Oak wanted to send you." said the Rocket leader. In his hand was indeed the box that held the mysterious item in it. "We're using this to build up our army of pokemon so Team Rocket will rise to power once more!"

He re-opened the package, took out the item in question, and threw the empty box aside. He held it up to the light to get a better look at it. The bright lights of the room glistened off of its polished surface and from what Rose could see, it looked sort of like…


	10. Code Red, part 2

… a large round stone about the size of his hand. It shone in all sorts of colors from the light reflecting off of it, sort of like a prism.

"You said this new product Silph Co. created is called the All Stone, correct?" said the man holding it.

The executive was silent, his eyes wide in shock and his shoulders hunched in defeat.

"This All Stone, from what I hear, can evolve _any _pokemon that aren't otherwise able to evolve with a stone. This will be _perfect_ for building up an army of pokemon to fight for us. We just need a test subject."

Rose gasped when she saw his eyes immediately dart to the sack containing Sage. It wiggled a bit as the pokemon tried to get out, but his little claws weren't strong enough to tear through material. The leader grabbed the sack from the burly man, quite roughly, and opened it. Inside, Sage was still growling like a rabid dog. The hand holding the stone approached him slowly, which caused him to lash out a grab his wrist with his powerful jaws. A sickening _CRUNCH_ obviously meant that he'd managed to break bone.

The leader immediately dropped the stone and screamed in pain, but Sage still held on. The executive, reacting with lightning speed, ordered his dog pokemon to attack the remaining men. The one with his gun held to Delilah was brought down first, whose gunshot barely missed her shoulder, so she took the opportunity to release Jade from her confinement. She went after the burly man, but was swatted away like an annoying fly by one huge hand. She fell to the ground, but immediately got back up.

"Looks like I'll need some more pokemon for this." Delilah said as she took out a pokeball from her pocket.

It expanded into about the size of an orange, and then she threw it to the ground. It popped open and in a bright flash of light, a yellow cat-like pokemon came out.

"Alright Kadabra, use telekinesis!"

With sheer psychic power, the pokemon lifted up the burly man high up into the air and threw him into another man nearby. They were both knocked out cold. The leader finally shook Sage off and threw him into a wall, which nearly caused him to black out. Sage sat there on the ground, disoriented.

Rose attempted to run to his side, but a newly-released Ivysaur stood in her way. It was about to tackle her when Jade came flying out of nowhere and tackled it first. It quickly got back on its feet and reciprocated with Vine Whip.

The remaining Rocker member had managed to escape, running back down the stairs and probably out of the building itself. The leader had released his own Ivysaur, which battled the dog pokemon one on one.

"Don't let that Ivysaur get the best of you Growlithe!" yelled the executive from the sidelines. "Fire Blast it!"

The Growlithe did as it was told and let out a great burst of flame that immediately scorched its attacker. Once the Ivysaur was down for the count, it went after the other. Jade and Growlithe both headbutt the remaining Ivysaur and sent it flying into the leader, who was holding his arm in pain.

What Rose had not noticed was that the leader had backed up just before being hit, kicking the Stone across the room. It skidded across the tiled until it stopped right where Sage was sitting, still in a daze from being thrown into the wall.

"Sage, NO!" screamed Rose. The Stone was lightly touching his foot, but this was enough to cause a strange reaction in the little blue pokemon. He glowed white and began changing. His jaws became bigger and he himself grew taller. The spines on his back grew and more sprouted from his head. The once kind look in his eye disappeared and turned into a fierce glare.

Sage was no longer Sage, but an entirely different… thing altogether. When the white light had disappeared, he looked down at his newly evolved body. Rose ran to him and hugged him with tears in her eyes.

"Sage, what happened to you??" she cried into his little blue shoulder. He didn't hug back, only stood there in confusion and annoyance. He pushed her back a little, clearly uncomfortable with the closeness.

"Sage…?" Rose said as she looked into his eyes. "Don't you remember me? It's me, Rose. You know me; I'm your best friend…"

"Kadabra, use Hypnosis!" commanded Delilah. Her faithful pokemon let out a number of visible brain waves from his forehead, putting the Ivysaur and the leader to sleep.

At this moment, the police had arrived. "What the hell happened here??" demanded one of them. There were about five of them standing there in the doorway.

Delilah explained the whole ordeal to the officer while Rose still kneeled in front of Sage. He looked around the room uncaringly, ignoring her kind words.

"Wow, and you guys handled them all by yourself?" asked one of the other officers.

"Well, not without some help." responded Delilah as she looked over at Rose, who gave her a small smile.

"How did you know where to find us though?" asked Geoffrey, who had chosen to stay out of the battle the entire time because of his lack of pokemon.

"You wife contacted us when she saw that your house had been broken into and you weren't there." responded another officer.

Geoffrey's wife walked in as he said this, looking pale and scared. In her hand, to Rose's relief, was the guitar she had left back in Pewter City, along with the backpack Delilah had bought her. She handed them over to Rose with shaking hands, then looked over at Geoffrey.

"_Mon amour!_" she said as she ran into his arms. He held her close as she cried on his shoulder, whispering calming words in French to her. Rose wished she knew what that felt like, to be held and comforted after such a traumatizing event. She looked at Delilah, who was still talking to the officers.

Then Rose noticed the Stone lying on the floor, still glistening. She picked it up, making sure she didn't get it too close to Sage, and handed it to one of the officers.

"We don't need this, it's not even ours." she said. "We were supposed to be delivering this here until Team Rocket took it from us." The officer took it in his hands and showed it to the man next to him.

"Thank you very much for capturing these guys." said the officer who was talking to Delilah. "We've been looking for this particular group of Rocket members for months. I think a reward is in store for you guys."

Rose smiled and so did Delilah, proud to have done such a good deed. Sage stood there next to Rose with a look of complete indifference on his face. Jade waddled up to him and snuggled close to him as she always did, but was immediately swatted at with sharp claws. She cried out and ran to Delilah, who picked her up and stroked her back.

"Come down to the station, we have something for you." the officer said.

Rose, Delilah, Geoffrey, his wife, and all the pokemon followed the men back down the stairs and outside. It was raining just as hard as before, but at least those huge winged dinosaurs were gone. They must have been captured.

The police station was a couple of blocks from Silph Co. It was a small building compared to the humongous skyscraper they were just in. Before walking in through the front doors, Delilah returned all her pokemon, including Jade.

"Ah, Officer Frank, how's it going?" asked a man standing at the door. He was addressing the officer whom Delilah was speaking to earlier.

"It's all good." said Frank with a smile. He explained what had happened that day to the man, who looked thoroughly impressed.

"So do you want me to get the, uhh…?"

"Yes Joe, and make sure you be careful with it." Frank responded. The one called Joe went to a door towards the back, pushed it open, and quickly stepped inside. Rose and Delilah looked at each other, then back at the door. Finally, Joe came back out with a small carrying case, much like a miniature suitcase. He came over to the girls and opened it up. This caused both Rose's and Delilah's eyes to widen.

"This is your $5,000 reward for capturing those Team Rocket members." said Frank. Since the three of you helped, then the three of you can split the cash.

When this was said, Geoffrey promptly stepped in. "I can't take the money." he said. "I didn't do a thing. They deserve it much more than I."

"Are you sure?" asked Rose. "There's an awful lot of money here."

"I am sure."

Joe shrugged and handed Rose the money. She and Delilah looked at the many neatly-stacked bills in awe. Neither of them ever had this much money in their lives. Rose counted out $2500 and gave it to Delilah, then shut the case and put it carefully into her bag. Delilah put her share into her own backpack.

"I guess this is where we say goodbye." said Frank. "We need to bring these two back to Pewter City." He motioned towards Geoffrey and his wife. "Unless you'd like a ride back too."

Rose, realizing that her objective was finally complete, said "Well, I'd like a ride back to Pallet Town if that's alright."

"Pallet Town?" asked Delilah.

"Well yeah, I did get the package to Saffron City. It wasn't the way I had planned, but at least it's here now. Professor Oak said he had something for me if I did this for him."

Delilah stood there in silence, thinking it over a bit.

"If you don't want to come, that's alright." Rose said. "Actually, didn't you say you needed to get back to Celadon City to visit your mother?"

"Oh, yeah, that's right…" said Delilah quietly.

"Then I guess this is goodbye." Rose said sadly. She held out a hand to shake Delilah's, trying to blink away the tears forming in her eyes. She didn't even know why she felt like crying; she had only known Delilah for a few days. It might have been because she was the only person she had ever been so close to before.

With a smirk, Delilah took her hand and shook it. "I'll see you around then brat." she said.

"Alright, come on." Frank said as he waited there. "I have three different stops to make and it's getting late. It's already 6 o' clock."

The four of them were led outside once more. The rain had stopped, but the sky was still full of grey clouds. Waiting for them were four horse-like pokemon with flames their backs, pawing at the ground impatiently.

"This Rapidash will take Delilah straight to Celadon City," said Frank as he approached one and pat it on the neck, "and the other one will take you to Vermilion City where a boat will be waiting to take you to Pallet Town." He was speaking to Rose and Sage. "Geoffrey and his wife will have to be taken through Mt. Moon from Cerulean City to get back."

Rose nodded, even though she had no idea where any of these places were. Frank helped her up onto her Rapidash along with Sage. Surprisingly, the flames on its back didn't burn her at all. She discovered that she could actually hold onto its mane as if it were real hair. Sage held onto her from behind, looking somewhat annoyed. Geoffrey and his wife were seated onto their own Rapidash while one of the officers took the lead with his. Delilah was seated behind another officer on the same pokemon.

When everyone was all set, Delilah's Rapidash set off towards the west where Celadon City must have been. She looked behind her at Rose until she was too far away to be seen. Then the two Rapidash carrying the others took off towards the north.

"Alright," said Frank, sitting on one of the last remaining horses. "Your Rapidash will follow me, so don't worry. Just hold on so you don't fall."

With those last words, both Rapidash ran off towards the north. Towards Vermilion City. Rose hung on for dear life, not at all used to riding any kind of pokemon. Looking at the ground racing under her only made her dizzy, so she instead looked up at the passing houses. Soon, they were on a lone path with nothing but trees surrounding them. Up ahead, lights from a distant town could be seen.

Once again, Rose was on her way to a new town. New sights, new people, new everything. Unfortunately, she wouldn't be staying for long, seeing as she had to board the boat there right away to get home.

This made her think of her mother, and what her reaction would be if she saw her daughter after having been gone for so long. Rose wouldn't let this worry her too much though. She would only be stopping in at Professor Oak's lab to get whatever it was that he wanted to give her, and then she would be leaving once again. She knew there was a river near there, which led to the ocean. There had to have been something out there she could discover, and she could finally have Sage help her across the waves.

Rose smiled at the thought of having a destination in mind. She was finally free to do what she wanted, to go where she wanted.


	11. Right Here Waiting

Chapter 11: Right Here Waiting

The trip to Vermilion City was so much quicker than any other path Rose had taken. Upon entering the town, the first thing that could be seen was the PokeMart and the gym next to it, which raced by in a blur as the two Rapidash kept going. They slowed down just a bit to traverse across a long wooden dock leading to the harbor.

An enormous white cruise ship was waiting for them in the lightly tossing waves, lighting up the evening with its countless number of windows. A few people were standing around here, just looking out at the water. Some were even fishing over the railing. The Rapidash both came to a quick stop, which nearly caused Rose to fall, and Frank dismounted. Rose followed suit, though she wasn't entirely sure if she dismounted correctly. Nevertheless, she and Sage got down safely.

"Alright, take this ticket and just go straight up this ramp." said Frank, handing her a small ticket with the words _S.S. Anne, Free Pass_ on it. "Someone will take your ticket and let you on. This ticket says it's good for one only time and only one person, but pokemon can get on anytime. It'll go right to Pallet Town. Unfortunately, Pallet has no harbor, so a rowboat will have to bring you through the river that goes into the town. Go on, before it leaves."

Rose nodded and quickly went up the ramp with Sage following behind lazily. She would have carried him, if it weren't for the fact that he was now about 35 pounds heavier and a whole foot taller. They made it to the top where a man kindly took their ticket and said "Welcome to the S.S. Anne. I hope you have a safe and enjoyable trip."

Rose nodded politely and walked across the huge deck of the ship. Sage hung dangerously on the metal rails, looking out onto the enormous ocean. He looked like he really badly wanted to go swimming. Rose kept a close eye on him, coming up behind him and also looking at the scenery. The grey clouds had almost completely disappeared and were replaced by a bluish-purple horizon just barely lit by the setting sun, which was reflected in the water. This reminded her of the night her and Delilah had watched the sunset together, and of Delilah pretty much spilling her dreams out for her. Tears came to her eyes as she remembered this. It seemed so long ago.

The scenery inspired her to play her guitar, which is just what she did. She found a beach chair nearby, turned it to face the ocean, and then laid her guitar on her lap. It had been such a long day that it felt like she hadn't played it in years. To make up for the neglect, she pulled out her pick from her pocket and started to play a random little tune.

Eventually it turned into one of her favorite songs of all time and when it got to the chorus, she sang the words quietly to herself:

_Wherever you go  
__Whatever you do  
__I will be right here  
__Waiting for you  
__Whatever it takes  
__Or how my heart breaks  
__I will be right here  
__Waiting for you_

Sage seemed oblivious to the sounds coming from the guitar. He continued looking out at the water, where some fish pokemon could be seen swimming just below the dark surface. He jumped a little when the boat's foghorn blared, meaning they were finally leaving the harbor.

Tears streamed down Rose's cheeks as she played the song over and over again. She couldn't help but think of Delilah. She wasn't going to admit it to her, ever, but she did have feelings for her. It may not have been what most people would call "love", but it was close enough. They shared a bond, despite only having known each other for a few days. Ever since the night they watched the sunset from the tree, Rose couldn't stop thinking about her. She knew that deep down inside, Delilah wasn't a bad person at all. If she were, then why had she stayed with her and helped her along so much? Perhaps she had the same feelings for Rose? She didn't want to get her hopes up though.

Looking over at Sage, she noticed he had fallen asleep against the rail. His huge jaw was slightly open, showing rows of sharp white fangs. Even in his sleep he looked vicious. Rose silently hoped to herself that this was only part of being newly evolved, that her best friend would eventually come to his senses and remember who he was.

Rose leaned back in the chair and continued playing her guitar for the ocean and for Delilah, who was now miles away, until she finally fell asleep.

Dawn came with the sounds of whales in the distance. Rose opened one eye to the bright light, but immediately closed it. She wasn't much of a morning person and didn't like this rude awakening from it. Unfortunately she _had _to wake up, since she couldn't sleep through Sage's loud snores. She looked at him groggily and rubbed her eyes, putting the guitar on her lap to the side.

Sage twitched slightly and rolled over, turning his back towards Rose. She shrugged, then looked around the large deck of the boat. Some people were already awake and relaxing in the sun with their pokemon. Rose wasn't sure what any of them were though. No one here looked her age, so she didn't bother to go over and converse.

Sage eventually woke up to the noise of more and more people coming out onto the deck. He growled in annoyance as he got up and stretched. He looked over at Rose, who was still looking at the activity going on around her. Seeing this as his only chance, he climbed up the rail and jumped into the cold ocean water.

Rose heard the splash and immediately looked in that direction, noticing the absence of her companion. She ran to the rail and looked down, seeing Sage swimming happily in circles about 15 feet from the boat.

"Sage?? Sage! Get back here right now!" she screamed. The stubborn pokemon ignored her and only swam further out.

_Shit,_ she thought to herself, _how the hell am I going to get him back??_

A young boy, seeing the commotion going on, came over to see what was up.

"You need any help ma'am?" he asked politely.

"No, everything's fine." Rose said with a deep sigh. _No, everything is _not_ fine, _she thought. _What the hell is wrong with Sage?? He never does this._

"I, uh, can get you a rope if-"

"No thanks, I got it." Rose cut him off as she climbed the rails herself, hoping the water wouldn't be too cold for her.

The water seemed so much closer looking down, but now that she had actually jumped, she finally realized just how tall this boat was. She hit the water feet first, then swam to the surface. She saw Sage swimming away from the boat, about 20 feet away.

"Sage! Come back!" she yelled to him as she kicked her feet as fast as she could. Today was not going to be a good day.

Further and further she swam, but she didn't seem to be getting any closer. Luckily she didn't tire out too easily, or she'd be a goner. Finally, Sage stopped and Rose could catch up to him. She grabbed him around his large belly, attempting to drag him back with her, but he growled and slipped out of her grasp easily. He seemed to be concentrating on something in the water, something right below their feet. Worried, Rose looked down and tried to see what he was looking at. Underneath her, something was casting a huge shadow. She wasn't sure what it was, or even how far from the surface it was. All she knew was that she needed to get back to the boat, and _fast._

She attempted to grab Sage again, who only swiped at her with his claws. Like an annoyed cat, luckily, it was only a warning for her not to touch him.

"Sage, come on, please! We have to get back!" she said, watching out for the shadow under her. It seemed to have gotten bigger, which obviously meant it was getting closer to them.

Suddenly, Rose felt herself being lifted straight up out of the water. Looking down, she could see that the thing that had lifted her up was some kind of giant blue pokemon. Honestly, it looked like the Loch Ness monster she had heard about in fairytales when she was little. She clung to what she assumed was its head as it came up out of the water. Sage was lifted up onto its back, which was covered with a hard rock-like shell.

The pokemon looked up with strikingly green eyes, and suddenly a voice came to Rose's head that made her think she was going crazy.

_Do not be afraid, I won't hurt you,_ it said. It sounded like a female's voice, and for a moment Rose thought it was actually coming from the pokemon directly below her.

She wasn't as crazy as she thought she was. _You shouldn't be out here on the water, _the voice said. _You could get hurt._

The pokemon was about to swim back to the boat, which was now very far away, until Rose spoke up. "Hey, instead of bringing us back to the boat, why don't you help me get home from here?"

At this point Rose was sure the pokemon could understand, and that the telepathic voice had indeed come from it, because it responded. _If you tell me were your home is, I will gladly take you there._

"Pallet Town" said Rose, clinging onto the horn on the pokemon's head. "It's towards where that boat is headed." She pointed out into the distance, careful not to let herself fall.

The great pokemon bowed its head comprehensively, then started swimming quickly in that direction.

_By the way, my name is Tempest, _it said.

"Tempest… That's a beautiful name" Rose said. "Um. You're a female, right?"

Tempest let out a little sing-song laugh. _Yes, that I am._ _I am also a Lapras._

Rose nodded with a smile. She'd never even seen any kind of pokemon like this. She couldn't even remember seeing one this big. She had bright turquoise scales that shimmered in the sunlight and she was at least eight feet tall. Her brilliant green eyes almost exactly resembled Delilah's.

"Oh, I have to get my guitar and bag before we go though." Rose said, suddenly remembering that she left them on the boat. She mentally swore to herself for being so stupid.

_Such harsh language, child, _said Tempest.

"… Oh, you can read thoughts…?" said Rose, slightly embarrassed.

The Lapras nodded, then continued on its way towards the boat. People stared as the massive pokemon swam alongside it. The young boy who had offered to help Rose bring Sage back was standing there with wide eyes.

"Do you think you could toss me my guitar and bag?" shouted Rose over the rushing of the waves below. Her hair flew behind her in the salty breeze.

The boy nodded, speechless, then grabbed Rose's things. Tempest leaned her head in close so Rose could reach over and get them, and then said _Get on my back so you don't fall._

Rose slid down the pokemon's long neck and landed lightly on her bottom next to Sage, who was leaning dangerously over the edge and playing in the waves. Rose tugged him back a little, but was careful not to get swiped at again.

The sun glistened off of the bright blue surface of the water, which rushed by in a blur as Tempest raced on effortlessly. Rose saw this as yet another moment to play some guitar. She decided to keep going with the song she played over and over again last night, but with much more enthusiasm even for such a sad song. She felt so much happier, but she wasn't sure why. It was as if Tempest herself was omitting an aura of good feeling.

Rose played the guitar loudly but skillfully over the sound of the waves and sang happily to herself the entire journey.

_Oceans apart, day after day  
__And I slowly go insane  
__I hear your voice on the line  
__But it doesn't stop the pain  
__  
If I see you next to never  
__How can we say forever?_

_Wherever you go  
__Whatever you do  
__I will be right here  
__Waiting for you  
__Whatever it takes  
__Or how my heart breaks  
__I will be right here  
__Waiting for you…_


	12. Move Along

Chapter 12:

_(A/N: ) Again, I apologize for the late update. I think I'm pretty much back on track now. Just been busy with school and whatnot. I didn't actually think I'd manage to have this random brainstorm and be able to update it TODAY. Anyway, please enjoy. This one I think seemed a bit rushed, sorry if it's crappy._

Chapter 12: Move Along

_Thank God I don't get motion sickness. _Rose thought to herself as they traveled onward. It was probably pointless in not saying that out loud, seeing as the telepathic Tempest could very well hear it anyway.

"How far Tempest?" asked Rose, cradling her beloved guitar.

_We're almost there, I can see some houses from here, _the pokemon responded. She held her head somewhat low as she maintained her surprising speed, her bright emerald eyes fixed on their destination point.

Indeed, a number of familiar houses could be seen as tiny dots on the horizon. The biggest dot was obviously Professor Oak's lab – Rose's destination point. Sage even looked over at them with mild curiosity, but could not seem to remember that those were once part of his home. He stared at them with his piercing red eyes as they grew bigger and bigger.

Very soon, the ocean narrowed into a lake, through which Tempest swam until she reached land. She hoisted her large body halfway out of the water on her flippers so she could let her passengers off. Rose and Sage hopped off of her back and onto dry land, feeling a bit dizzy from being on the water for so long.

_Is this goodbye then?_ Tempest asked with a tilt of her large head.

"Oh, no. I'm here to pick something up real quick," said Rose, slinging her guitar and her bag over her shoulder. "Is it okay if I come back for another ride?"

_Most certainly, child. I will take you wherever it is you need to go. _She bowed her head humbly, then turned and disappeared into the water.

Rose and Sage made their way to the lab, which wasn't very far at all. The building was the same as it had always been, and this brought back a lot of memories for Rose. She and Sage went through the front doors and were immediately greeted by Professor Oak himself.

"I've been waiting anxiously for you Rose!" he said excitedly, shaking her hand. "As promised, I have something for you. I got a call from Silph Co. about you capturing Team Rocket like that and saving the All Stone. That was very brave."

Rose smiled, not at all used to being praised.

"I see your Totodile has evolved." He looked at Sage with interest. "Have you been training it?"

Rose hesitated, not entirely sure what to say to him. "Um… well… it was sort of an accident…" she said, looking down at the ground.

"Accident?"

She went on to explain what the All Stone had done to her friend, and how it had made him so much more vicious than his previous form.

Oak nodded when he heard this. "That is a very common thing to happen to newly evolved pokemon," he said, "especially those belonging to novice trainers."

Rose held back her anger at being called a novice trainer for the _second _time.

"It could also be because he isn't used to his new form. He was forced to evolve so early that he wasn't physically or mentally ready. But I'm sure he will be fine if you just work with him a bit, have some patience. Anyway Rose, come with me please."

He led them to the back of the lab where Rose had been given her bike. This made her wish she hadn't left it behind. Oak greeted his assistants, who worked on the many computers throughout the building, as they walked on.

When they got there, Professor Oak went over to his desk and picked up a pokedex that was laying there, which immediately caused Rose to gasp in surprise. She'd always wanted one ever since she saw Delilah with hers. She could learn so much about the world around her with just this one little device.

"Here is your very own pokedex, which also counts as your brand-new trainer's license" said Oak, handing her the device.

"Trainer's license??" she asked, assuming that she _must_ have been dreaming.

"Well yes, of course. A license doesn't necessarily mean some plastic card you flash to a gym trainer to be able to battle them."

Rose blushed, realizing that that was exactly how she had pictured a trainer's license to be. But she immediately grew excited as she looked down the pokedex in her hand. Then she remembered something she'd been wanting to do since the incident at Silph Co.

"Alright Sage, hold still" she said as she opened it up, pointing the pokedex towards the blue crocodile. She pressed the same button on it as she had done on Delilah's, which activated an electronic voice:

_Croconaw, the Big Jaw pokemon. 48 teeth line its huge mouth. When it loses one, a new one quickly grows back in its place._

Rose closed the pokedex, now updated with its first entry, and looked at Sage for a moment.

"I believe your mother wanted to see you as soon as you got back" said Oak. "I guess she didn't realize you had left…" He trailed off uncomfortably.

Rose's heart dropped when she heard this. When she had left Pallet Town, she had left behind all of the memories this place had attached to it. She had completely forgotten about her mother, and she would have to face her once again after she had thought she was free from her abuse. Every fiber of her body told her not to go, to just rebel and leave her mother behind so she would never have to deal with her again. But she felt as though her emotions were attached to that house on a leash – it was still her home and her mother was still a figure of authority.

If she was going to go against her own mother to find freedom, she would have to at least stand up to her. She couldn't let her only chance of freedom to be restrained any longer – she had to remove all ties to her oppressive past, including those that had only knocked her down and made her feel worthless.

"Alright, I guess that's our next stop then" she said quietly. "Come on Sage." She bid Professor Oak goodbye, then walked back outside.

The fat blue Croconaw followed her out, looking hopefully toward the lake nearby.

Rose sighed. "You can play in the water as much as you like once I get this over with Sage."

She had no clue what she was going to do when she got home – she was scared out of her mind. She hoped Sage would provide at least _some _comfort to her, but he was too distracted with watching someone walk by with a pokemon at his side.

Rose noticed, walking down the lonely little dirt path to her house, that it was very windy today. Her long hair whipped around her as the once calm spring breeze blew hard all around her, kicking up dust and leaves. Looking up, Rose saw that the sky was clear blue – no clouds in sight. Perhaps it was just going to be windy today, which was a good thing. Rain made people depressed, and that was the last thing Rose needed to deal with.

Finally, they reached the hellhole. Nothing could be heard from within the old house, which could have been either bad or good. Sage got down on all fours and sniffed the front steps as he went up, recognizing his own scent but not quite comprehending. Rose approached the front door slowly, like a child that was called home for doing something bad. She might as well had treated the situation as such, seeing as her mother wasn't the nicest of people.

_KNOCK KNOCK._

Rose's hand shook as she knocked as hard as she could, assuming her mother was sleeping because of the eerie silence. She immediately heard footsteps, which proved her very wrong.

The door opened quickly and an annoyed-looking, disheveled woman stood there with a beer bottle in her hand. "Where the hell have _you_ been??" she asked, slightly swaying. Rose wasn't sure what to say. "I woke up one mornin' and you weren't even here! You can't just… run off like that." Her speech was horribly slurred, so she had obviously been drinking long before Rose arrived. "Alright, get inside." She grabbed Rose's arm with a little more force than the girl had expected and pulled her inside. Sage followed with little interest.

Rose stood near the door in the kitchen once her mother had let go of her arm while Sage looked on from behind her. The drunken woman went into the other room to get something as Rose's heart pounded in her chest. She didn't know what to say, but she had to think of something and to not let this woman get the best of her now.

Her mother came back with a newly lit cigarette and sat down on one of the rickety wooden chairs. It creaked under her weight.

After a long drag on the cigarette she asked "So where the hell've you been girl?" She had a threatening look in her eye, despite her drunken state.

"Just out" Rose responded simply. There was no use in explaining herself – it would lead to the same reaction from this woman either way.

"For a fucking week??" asked the mother angrily. She had put her cigarette down in an ashtray on the table and got up. "I'll be right back…" she said shortly as she made her way back into the other room.

She came back almost a split second later with something in her hand - a belt. She walked slowly but clumsily towards Sage, who growled as she approached. But she walked right past him to the door.

_Click._

Rose knew that sound all too well. She had locked the door, preventing any escape. She took a deep breath, knowing already what was to come. She needed to come up with a way to protect herself, and fast. Looking toward the front door, she could see Sage standing there. He didn't look the least bit worried, but annoyed. He didn't seem to be interested in anything that was going on at that moment.

"Why did you leave without telling me?" inquired the now angered woman. "Do you really think I'm _that_ stupid?!"

Rose stood up a bit taller, trying not to be intimidated.

"I wanted to get out of here" she said. "I couldn't stand living here, so I went off on my own to find something better." Before she had a chance to say anything further, Rose felt the belt hit her side.

_SMACK._

She gritted her teeth and made a strangled whimpering sound, forcing herself not to show any signs of submission. The hard leather hit her three more times before she unconsciously backed away from the attacker, who grabbed her arm in the same spot she had before. Rose held her arm up to protect her face from being whipped, trying desperately to think of something to get her out of this. Her whole body seemed to ache and sting and before she knew it, she had lost count of how many times she had been whipped.

She had managed to back up into the counter, hearing a small cracking sound. She then realized that she still had her guitar slung over her shoulder, but her mind didn't seem to react at all. Protecting herself was more important at the moment than anything else.

As the beating went on, she noticed a metal sauce pan sitting on the stove beside her, and it was well within reach. Between her mother's vicious blows, Rose lashed out and grabbed the pan as fast as she could and swung. It made a hollow _CLANG_ as it hit the woman's hand. She backed away and yelled in pain, then made a grab for the weapon. Rose swung at her multiple times, missing her every time. She was scared, and she knew that this woman could easily overpower her.

Looking towards the kitchen door, she noticed that it was now opened and Sage was nowhere to be seen. Knowing her mother couldn't run very fast when she was drunk, she dropped the pan and made a run for it out the door. Her mother yelled for her, but was far from catching up with her now.

Rose ran until her lungs were on the verge of bursting. She made it to the lake and fell to her knees, hugging herself and shaking from head to toe. Tempest rose up out of the water with Sage on her back, who had probably tried to escape into the ocean again.

_What happened to you child? _asked the pokemon worriedly. She noticed welts and bruises all over Rose's arms and even on her neck.

Rose seemed to have lost her voice. She stayed there on the ground without saying a word, then suddenly burst into tears with her head in her hands. Lowering her head, Tempest nuzzled her face against Rose.

_There is no need to cry,_ she said, _you are safe with me now._

Rose knew it was impossible for pokemon to actually smile, but she could definitely see a smile in Tempest's bright green eyes. The pokemon licked her affectionately, then lowered her head further for Rose to climb on. She did this and made her way to where an annoyed Sage sat on her back. He laid on his stomach, looking into the clear blue water at his reflection.

_As promised, I will take you wherever you need to go, _said Tempest.

Rose thought for a second, then said "Take me back to Vermilion City please."

_May I ask why you are going back?_

She was quiet for a moment, then said "There's someone I'd like to go see."

Tempest nodded, then turned around and headed out into the ocean. The wind seemed to have gotten stronger since earlier – now it was kicking up waves and sending them splashing up against her sides. Sage got a face full of salty seawater, so he moved reluctantly from his spot.

This was when Rose suddenly remembered something. She took her guitar off her back and examined the smooth and delicate wood, coming across a significantly large crack on the back of the guitar. She ran her finger over the rough area, sighing in discouragement.

_I could always go and get it fixed or something, _Rose thought to herself as she laid the instrument down gently beside her. Tomorrow was another day and once again, she had a destination point in mind. As long as she knew that, then she knew she could keep going on no matter what got in her way. She couldn't let anything get her down now.


	13. Here I Go Again

Chapter 13:

Chapter 13: Here I Go Again

_Rose, still being pursued by the giant monster behind her, screamed as loud as her lungs would allow her, hoping Delilah would come to the rescue. But it seemed that she had disappeared altogether, and Rose was to face this monster alone. She turned around, realizing that this monster looked exactly like her beloved Sage. But he was much bigger now, with nothing but blood lust reflected in his fiery red eyes. She tried to scream, but suddenly her voice stopped working, and all she could do was watch as the terrible jaws came down on her…_

Rose nearly fell off of Tempest's back as she sprang up from her sleep. She looked around, still half-thinking that the monster was after her. When she realized it was all just a dream, she relaxed a bit. Then she noticed a drastic change in the weather as she looked up into the sky. Dark clouds blocked out the sun completely, making it difficult to tell whether it was night or day, and the wind howled around her.

_We need to find somewhere to stay _said Tempest as she raced through the oncoming storm. _We cannot be out here on the water._

"Are we going to make it?" asked Rose over the noise of the wind.

_I am not entirely sure, child. Cinnabar Island is up ahead, but the storm is getting worse by the minute._

This caused a slight surge of panic in Rose, but she tried as hard as she could to stay calm. Sage looked worried, but probably more for his own life than anyone else's. He clung to the pokemon's great neck as she swam against the fierce wind. Neither a boat nor an island was in sight for miles around. The waves became bigger and in just a few minutes, it became difficult to maintain balance on top of Tempest's back.

_We are almost there _she said.

In the distance, Rose could barely make out some sort of small island. A few houses could be seen as well, to her relief. Maybe they were going to make it after all. She held onto Tempest's neck along with Sage and squinted her eyes against the wind and the crashing waves. In the corner of her eye, she could see something huge rising up above them. Turning her head, she realized in horror that it was a tidal wave.

"Tempest, we have to get out of the way!" she yelled, holding onto Sage to keep him safe. He seemed to ignore this altogether and was more concerned with the huge wave coming right for them.

_Hang on _said Tempest as she swam straight toward the wave. Rose was too scared to ask what she was trying to do. She braced herself for the worst as they were lifted up by the wave, but then Tempest turned and swam parallel to the water crashing down around them – straight through the funnel like a surfer. When it seemed like the funnel was about to engulf them, they made it out through the other side just in time as the wave quickly melted into the ocean.

"That was amazing!" said Rose, still not completely over the initial shock.

Finally, after what had seemed like hours of frantic swimming, they reached land. Rose and Sage jumped down from the pokemon's back, thankful to have gotten through the worst of the storm.

"Anyone need help out here?" yelled a voice from somewhere.

Up ahead, Rose saw an older, bald man with round sunglasses on, which seemed weird given the current weather. He must have seen them trying to get to the island.

"Come with me, I'll take you guys inside" he said as he motioned for them to follow. Tempest, obviously unable to follow them, stayed where she was on the shore.

_I will be fine _she said, looking down at the worried Rose. _I will be here when the storm ends; I am a water pokemon after all._ She winked, then turned and headed back into the water.

Without a second thought, Rose hurried after the man. She and Sage were both led to a small shack next to a much larger building. It looked like a gym, but Rose didn't want to stick around and find out – she was more concerned about getting herself and her friend to safety. She wrapped her arms tightly around her body as the cold wind nipped at her skin, even though she was wearing a long-sleeved shirt. Walking up to the front door of the shack, the man took a key from his pocket and opened the door.

The three of them hurried inside and the door was shut tightly behind them. Rose sat in a large armchair nearby, still slightly shaky from earlier. She took her bag and guitar off of her shoulder and set it down against the chair. Sage sat down on the floor next to her. The man, removing his jacket, went into what looked like the kitchen while the others sat there in the living room. There was a small fireplace against the east wall of the room, and above that a Pikachu-shaped clock displayed the time – 12:35. Rose wasn't entirely sure if it was nighttime or daytime, but she highly doubted that she had fallen asleep the entire day. She jumped a bit when she heard the door from the kitchen open, through which the man walked with two plates of food.

"Thought you might be hungry after the trip" he said, handing each of them a plate. "I'll get you something to drink, hold on."

Rose waited once again, feeling obligated to wait for permission to eat. Sage, however, devoured his steak and potatoes ravenously. The man quickly came back with two cups of water, but no food for himself.

"Aren't _you_ going to eat?" asked Rose, looking at him warily. She still wasn't sure she could trust him just yet. Sage gulped down the water within seconds.

"Naw, I already ate earlier" he said, adjusting his round sunglasses. "By the way, the name's Blaine." He held out a hand, which Rose shook hesitantly. "Why the heck are you out on the water in such bad weather, kid? Shoulda known there was gonna be a storm."

"I don't watch the news" responded Rose as she looked at her food. It seemed safe, so she began eating slowly. Thoughts from earlier that day swirled in her mind, but she quickly shook it off. She was safe here, it seemed. She couldn't let anything get in the way of her determination now. They sat there in silence as Rose and Sage finished up their food. Blaine took their plates into the kitchen to be washed, then came back with some matches.

"I take it you're staying here until the storm lets up" he said, lighting a match and throwing it into the fireplace. The wood caught fire instantly and filled the room with a soft orange glow. "Too cold and windy out there to be traveling. Where you headed to anyway?"

"Vermilion City" Rose responded, stretching as she got up from her seat. She felt the sudden need to walk around.

"Ah, I see. Good place. You going there for the gym?"

"Oh, uh, no. I didn't even know there was a gym there. I want to go see someone."

Sage laid down comfortably in front of the fire while Blaine yawned and scratched his shiny bald head. Then he went to the small table in the corner of the room to turn on the radio sitting there, which just happened to be playing a familiar song that Rose liked:

_Here I go again on my own  
__Going down the only road I've ever known  
__Like a drifter, I was born to walk alone…_

This song had always reminded her of herself, especially since she was on this journey pretty much on her own. Sage didn't even seem all that interested in reality anymore, never mind in Rose. She missed her friend greatly, and hoped everyday that he would soon come to his senses; that somehow she could get through to him and once again see the young hatchling she had found in the forest only two years ago.

"Hey, maybe while you're here you could train with me" said Blaine, breaking Rose's thoughts.

"I take it you're a trainer then?" asked Rose with sudden interest.

Blaine let out a laugh that seemed a bit too loud for the quiet, cozy room.

"You've never heard of me??" he asked incredulously. Rose shook her head with uncertainty. "Kid…I'm the gym leader here!"

Her eyes widened. "Really? I've never met a gym leader before."

"First time for everything I suppose" Blaine said with a shrug. "This shack is actually attached to my gym, if you didn't notice coming in, so we wouldn't have to walk through the storm. I could take you there if you feel like training a bit. I'm sure it'll be good for this guy." He pointed to Sage, who looked up at him with curiosity.

Rose thought about this for a moment. She still wasn't sure she wanted to make her friend fight, though he seemed to have a much more different temperament now that he had evolved. But what if he evolved even further? Would he end up looking like that huge monster in Rose's dream? She hoped that would never happen.

"I could try…" said Rose hesitantly.

"Alright, it's a deal then" Blaine said. "Right after this song though." He turned the radio up louder to hear it better, then sat down in the armchair Rose was originally sitting in.

_I'm just another heart in need of rescue  
__Waiting on Love's sweet charity  
__And I'm gonna hold on for the rest of my days  
_'_Cause I know what it means  
__To walk along the lonely street of dreams_

She laughed a little, seeing the older man tapping his fingers and mouthing the words. This soon changed into a full-on air guitar show when the solo came up, which caused Rose to nearly fall over from laughing so hard. This was the first time in a very long time that she actually had something to laugh about. Sage just covered his head angrily with a pillow until the song had finally ended and Blaine turned off the radio.

"Well, that was fun" he said, wiping sweat off his forehead. "You ready to go or what?"

Rose nodded. "Do you want to come train?" she asked Sage, who got up lazily and nodded in response. "Alright, come on."

Blaine led them to a door in the kitchen, which led straight into the infamous Cinnabar Gym. Rose gasped as she walked in. The floor was huge and spectators' seats lined its entire perimeter almost up to the ceiling.

"If you heard anything about this gym," Blaine said as he threw a switch to turn on the massive bright lights, "you'd know that it was once built in the actual volcano here on the island. Unfortunately, the damn thing blew up not too long ago, so I had to rebuild. This whole island is working on bringing back its citizens after we rebuild everything. Takes a lotta money, ya know?"

Rose nodded before realizing Blaine's back was turned toward her and Sage, leading them both out into the center of the spacious gym. Once there, Rose stood on the opposite side and faced Blaine. This was when Rose began to feel uncertain.

"Um, I've never trained at all before" she said as she watched Blaine take out a pokeball from his belt. "I think you might need to go easy on me…"

She could see him nod as he threw out the pokeball, releasing a large rhinoceros-like pokemon with rough skin. It scratched at the floor in anticipation for a battle.

"This is my new Rhyhorn, just caught the guy. I'm sure he'll be okay for your Croconaw there. Rhyhorn's a rock-type anyway, water'll beat him pretty quick."

Sage stepped up in front of Rose, seemingly better at this than she, and growled threateningly.

"So… what do I do?" Rose asked, then suddenly felt stupid. "Sorry…"

"Naw, it's alright kid" said Blaine. "Just tell 'im to attack with something. He's gotta at least know Water Gun, right?"

Rose remembered that day in Viridian Forest, when Sage had unleashed a blast of water to save her from the Ariados. She figured this was what Blaine was talking about, so she called out nervously: "W-water Gun attack!" Her companion nodded and did as he was told, shooting a powerful blast of water towards the Rhyhorn but missing him by inches. Sage obviously needed work on his accuracy.

"Take Down!" yelled Blaine.

The opponent charged straight toward Sage with the tip of his horn pointed right at him, but he jumped with ease right over the attacker and attempted another Water Gun attack on his own. This time he hit Rhyhorn, who was knocked over from the force of the water. Then Sage went at him with his own charging attack – Headbutt – and knocked the heavy pokemon a good ten feet away.

"Sage, I haven't even told you to do any of that!" said Rose, slightly frustrated.

He responded with an uncaring snort, then went after the fallen opponent again. This time, he attempted to sink his fangs right into Rhyhorn's exposed side.

"Stomp 'im Rhyhorn!"

Rhyhorn, with surprising agility, got back onto his feet and jumped into the air, coming down on Sage with a strong kick. Sage flew through the air and landed on his side, but got up immediately and shook himself off. Suddenly angered, he ran on all fours with his teeth bared toward Rhyhorn. Sage tried to Headbutt him again, but he braced himself and lowered his head so that both of their heads collided with each other. They stayed like that – literally head-to-head – glaring into each other's eyes and growling fiercely. It seemed to be a test of strength, each of them trying to push the other over. This was when Blaine finally stepped in.

"Alright, I think that's enough for these two" he said, returning his pokemon. "That wouldn't have gotten anywhere if we let it go on any longer."

Rose agreed, seeing the battle as pointless if Sage wasn't even going to listen. He sat there on the floor with his arms crossed, obviously annoyed that the battle had to stop so soon.

"Hey, look kid!" said Blaine suddenly, pointing to a window at the far back of the gym.

Rose could see even from where she stood that the storm had almost completely stopped, with the exception of a few stray clouds moving their way toward the west. She smiled knowing that she could finally continue her journey to Vermilion City, then from there to Celadon where she could finally meet up with Delilah again. She hoped Delilah would want to at least see rather than leaving her for good.

"You can stay here as long as you want, unless you really need to leave right away" Blaine said, adjusting his glasses. "If you don't, I suggest staying here to train your pokemon a bit more before heading on."

Rose shook her head. "I think I'm going to leave now, so I can get off the water before any more storms hit us."

"Alright, your choice kid. You need anything before you go?"

"No thank you, but thanks for taking us in earlier."

Blaine nodded.

The three of them walked across the brightly lit floor and back into the shack, so that Rose could grab her things and say her goodbyes. She shook Blaine's hand and thanked him again for his hospitalities, then headed out the door. She made her way back to the shore where Tempest was patiently waiting for them. The sky was clearing up fast and the gentle spring breeze had come back. Rose saw a few crab-like pokemon walking along the sand as she climbed up onto Tempest's back, eager to move on.

_Did you forget anything? _she asked, turning her large head around to look at her better.

"No, everything's all set" Rose said after double-checking herself.

Tempest nodded, then pushed herself off of the shore and into the ocean. The ride was so much smoother now that the storm had passed. Rose hoped it was their last, because they had a long way to go before they reached Vermilion. She didn't worry too much about it though. Once again, they were on their way to a new destination point and once again, Rose was inspired to play her guitar the entire ride there.

_(A/N: ) I guess I should warn readers now that any characters that actually DO come from the Pokemon series are a bit different here in the fanfic. I am still basing it all off of Pokemon Crystal, where I see people like Blaine a little differently. I know he's some old annoying dude in the anime, but here I have him maybe in his late 20's. More of a rocker kind of guy, as you just saw. That's how I see him in my mind. And since it's more like Pokemon Crystal, Team Rocket doesn't have Jesse or James as members or that damn annoying announcement thing they do EVERY time they show up. Yes, I do realize I am ranting, and I'm sorry for that. Read and review por favor._


	14. Keep Holding On

Chapter 14:

Chapter 14: Keep Holding On

"Sage, please be careful" warned Rose as she watched her fat blue companion lean precariously over the edge of Tempest's back and look into the water. He turned and gave her a rebellious glare before leaning over even closer to the water and dipping his paw into it. He looked like he really wanted to go for a swim, but Rose knew that he would only try and escape.

She tried to ignore him as she continued with her guitar playing. It really didn't sound all that different even with the significantly large crack in its body. It still echoed smoothly as she plucked each string skillfully. She couldn't remember, even over the course of her 16 years, ever learning how to play from someone else. She had taught herself everything she knew.

At one point she had stopped playing and stared up into the endless blue sky. She began thinking about Delilah again, and how she would be seeing her soon. It felt like it had been years since they parted. She thought of how beautiful she looked, with her long brown hair and bright green eyes. She wished she could see all that again right now, but she would have to wait. She wasn't sure how far she would have to travel to see her, however, so she mentally reminded herself to get a map from Vermilion City before moving on again.

After realizing her back was hurting from slouching against Tempest's neck, she sat up straight and re-positioned the guitar on her lap. She ran her hand over the smooth wooden curves, thinking of a song to play. She finally came up with something, singing along with the words as she played:

_You're not alone  
Together __we stand  
I'll be by your side  
__You know I'll take your hand  
When it gets cold  
And it feels like the end  
There's no place to go  
You know I won't give in  
No, I won't give in  
__  
Keep holding on  
'Cause y__ou know we'll make it through  
__We'll make it through  
Just stay strong  
'Cause you know I'm here for you  
__I'm here for you  
There's nothing you could say  
Nothing you__ could do  
There's no other way  
__When it comes to the truth  
So keep holding on  
'Cause you know we'll make it through  
__We'll make it through_

Rose played it over and over again as she remembered the exact day she had learned it. It was a day much like this one and the song just happened to be playing on the radio, so Rose listened to it closely and figured out the notes all on her own. She could remember feeling sad that day as she sat out on the old swing and played.

She also remembered Sage sitting right next to her - her faithful companion for life, or so she thought. Now she doubted he even cared anymore. She wiped away a tear as she sat up straight again so she could play better. She played it over and over at least five times before Tempest finally said something.

_We're here._

It took Rose a second to realize what it was she was talking about. She looked up from her guitar and saw a familiar place - this was Vermilion City's harbor. She smiled as she stood up a bit too fast, holding onto Tempest's neck as she waited for the dizziness to go away. Sage got up immediately and hopped onto the dock, then to Rose's surprise he ran off on all fours.

"Wait, Sage, come back!" she yelled after him. She hopped off of Tempest's back and looked around. He had disappeared into the crowd of people making their way to and from the harbor. She tried to look past the many feet walking by, but to no avail.

"I guess this is goodbye Tempest. I kinda wished it had been a better goodbye than this, but I have to find Sage."

Tempest nodded. _I will always be here when you need me. We will meet again._

Typically, she bowed her great head before heading back into the water and swimming away. Rose sighed, then made her way through the crowd to try and find her friend. She wasn't sure how big Vermilion City was, however, so she didn't know how long this would take. Nevertheless, she walked down the wooden dock and finally onto land, where she could see a number of buildings around her. She walked up the paved road past the gym along with a few houses, looking into alleyways and calling for Sage. She even went into the PokeMart and the Pokemon Center to try and find him, but he was nowhere to be seen.

One man claimed to have seen a blue pokemon on the loose, and pointed towards the north where there were no houses. Rose swore to herself as she walked up the hill, realizing that she might have to travel more than she had expected to find Sage. After about 15 minutes, Rose could see no more houses, but many trees surrounding the path. She couldn't possibly go all the way to the north – that was where Saffron City was, and she didn't want to go there only to find out he was still somewhere here in Vermilion. She made her way back down the hill and tried one more time to look for him. She walked past even more people, calling out Sage's name until her voice became hoarse. At one point she had asked a little old lady for the time – it was 3:00. She couldn't keep going on forever, obviously, so she found the front step of the city's gym and sat down.

"Hey, are you okay?" asked a voice. Rose looked around until she saw a preppy-looking girl.

"Um, I lost my pokemon" said Rose as she got up from the step. "Can you help me find him? He's a Croconaw."

The girl thought for a moment, then said "I saw one a little earlier. He tried to attack my poor Eevee, then he chased her into Diglett's Cave." She pointed to the east, where Rose could see a small mountain range in the distance. "I tried to go after her, but I'm too scared to go in there. I heard there's nasty wild pokemon all over the place. But maybe you can come with me?"

Rose agreed, then led the way out of Vermilion City. The road became rocky and harder to walk on as they went. Soon enough, they were at the gaping mouth of the cave. Looking up, Rose noticed that the ceiling had a few holes and cracks in it, where slivers of sunlight could get through. This would be enough light for them to see where they were going – at least until they went too far in. Rose hoped they would find Sage and this girl's Eevee before that happened.

"Well, let's go then" Rose said, stepping inside with forced confidence. She wasn't too fond of caves, seeing as she had never even been in one. She didn't know what awaited them inside. She could hear the girl behind her whimpering in fear as they started walking. Up above, Rose gasped when she saw numerous bat pokemon hanging upside-down.

"Ew, oh my God!" the girl whispered, huddling close to Rose. "Zubat are _so _gross."

Rose shook her head and walked on carefully, realizing the exact reason why she hated preppy girls. She stepped into a few puddles as she walked, soaking the bottoms of her jeans, and her breath came out in little puffs of mist. She felt a little sorry for the girl behind her – she was wearing a skirt and short sleeves. They searched behind every rock and crevice for what seemed like hours, during which Rose began to grow impatient. She wasn't sure she would ever find Sage again, and the preppy girl following her around started to get on her nerves.

"Oh God, do you think this thing is poisonous?!" she yelled from only a few yards away. She had come across a large purple snake pokemon curled up on top of a rock. She obviously did not have the ability to walk around the damn thing.

"No, I don't think so" said Rose with a frustrated sigh. "Just don't touch it." This had to have been the tenth time she had asked her about some random pokemon they came across. Nothing seemed too lethal as long as they kept their distance, but the girl insisted on assuming otherwise.

After an even longer stretch of time, Rose suddenly saw something brown and moving up ahead. She ran forward, climbing a few small rocks in her way, before she realized this wasn't either of the pokemon they were looking for – it was just a Diglett. The little brown mole looked up at her and blinked. "Diglett-dig?" it said.

Rose sighed and sat down on a boulder nearby, scaring the little pokemon away. It seemed impossible that she would ever find Sage. They had been in this dark, wet cave for almost an hour and a half. Looking around her, she noticed that there were many more Diglett. They poked their heads out from the dirt, then retreated back underground. They did this over and over again, not entirely sure if Rose was friend or foe. Of course, the preppy girl thought this was the cutest thing in the world and attempted to try and catch one with her hands. She walked around to each Diglett hole, trying to at least pet one, but they all ran from her whenever she got close. With an air of blatant immaturity, she stomped over to where Rose was sitting and sat down next to her.

"We're never going to find them" said Rose, looking down at her feet. "This is so fucking stupid." In her frustration, she kicked a small rock nearby. It soared a good 15 feet into a dark crevice. She heard it hit something, which growled angrily. She knew that sound anywhere – that was Sage! She got up quickly and ran toward the sound. There, she saw the Croconaw standing near a tall boulder, looking up at something with fierce red eyes. She looked up in that direction and saw the Eevee she was looking for. She sat stone-stiff high above her head, clearly frightened of Sage.

"Alright you, that's enough" said Rose, bending down to pick up Sage. She lifted him up with all the strength she could muster, given that he was at least 50 pounds. Still, she was determined to get him away from the Eevee and out of this cave.

"Hey girl, your Eevee is over here!" she called. The girl got up from where she was sitting and ran over to Rose. She looked up with a mingled expression of worry and relief.

"Eevee, are you okay??" she asked, holding out her arms so the pokemon could jump down into them. With a little pounce, she came down from her perch and purred as the girl stroked her fluffy fur.

"We need to find a way out of here" said Rose, looking around her. She wasn't going to admit it, but she thought she was lost.

Sage struggled a bit in her arms, which only made her hug him tighter. With a frustrated growl, he bared his fangs, then sunk them deep into her arm. "OUCH!" she yelped as the pokemon broke free and ran off once again. She held back tears as she looked down at her crimson-stained sleeve, then lifted it up to check the wounds. Numerous bruised puncture marks dotted the pale skin and were bleeding profusely. She pulled the sleeve back down and held it to stop the bleeding.

"Your pokemon doesn't like you very much" said the girl from behind her, almost tauntingly.

Rose held back her anger, and her tears, as she walked away in an attempt to get out of the cave. She couldn't understand why Sage would do this to her – they had always been the best of friends when he was a Totodile. Why would that all change now? She assumed that evolving was just the same as growing up. Sure, they might look different, but there's never a change this drastic in personality and temperament. She sighed as she heard footsteps behind her, wishing she were anywhere _but _here.

Another hour or so passed when they finally made it out. Rose squinted against the blinding sunlight and looked around. As expected, no Sage in sight. It was getting cooler by the minute, meaning that it was obviously getting late. Chances of finding Sage were disappearing quickly – he could be miles away for all Rose knew.

"Thank you so much for finding my Eevee!" said the girl when they made it back to town. She gave Rose a tight hug, then walked off with her pokemon following close behind.

"Great, everyone's fucking leaving me" Rose said quietly to herself. She didn't know what to do now – Delilah was gone, Sage was gone, and she didn't even know which one she should try to find first. She couldn't just abandon Sage to go see Delilah, but thinking back on how long she had been searching for him today and looking at her bleeding arm, she began to think otherwise. He obviously didn't want her anymore, but what if Delilah didn't either? What if the only reason she had helped Rose was merely out of pity?

Up ahead, Rose saw the Pokemon Center she had passed so many times in her search for Sage. She hoped someone here could bandage her up real quick before she moved on. She pushed the front doors open with her shoulder, still holding her arm, and walked up to the front desk. There was a note saying that the nurse was out, but a Chansey was standing nearby.

"Hey, you think you could help me out here? I'm kinda hurt" said Rose, hoping the pokemon would understand her.

It nodded, then led her into a back room much like the one at the Pokemon Center in Pewter City. Rose assumed this was how all of them looked. The Chansey sat her down in a chair and pulled up her sleeve to take a look at it. After turning her arm over a few times in its little pink hands, it went to a table nearby and brought back some antibiotics and bandages.

It cleaned up the dried blood, then applied the antibiotics. It stopped only for a moment when it noticed a few faded scars across Rose's wrist, which looked intentional. To her relief, the pokemon thought nothing further of it and continued to work on her arm. Finally, it was bandaged up tightly and she was good to go.

"Thanks" she said shortly, getting up from the chair and walking out.

Without knowing where else to go, she went back down to the harbor and sat on the dock. The boat was now gone again and almost no one was around, so she assumed it was okay. Her guitar and bag were next to her as she looked out onto the water, wondering what Delilah was doing at this moment. She had said that she needed to see her mother at Celadon City, which brought on the worst fear for Rose. What if she wasn't even there anymore? What if she had moved on to the next town, which was probably even further away? She tried not to think about it too much, but instead thought of the song she was playing earlier. It had been stuck in her head all day. She picked up her guitar once again and laid it on her lap, then got out her pick and played.

_So far away  
I wish you __were here  
Before it's too late  
__This could all disappear  
Before the doors close  
And it comes to an end  
With you by my side  
__I will fight and defend  
I'll fight and defend_

_Keep holding on  
'Cause you know we'll make it through  
__We'll make it through  
Just stay strong  
'Cause you know I'm here for you  
__I'm here for you  
There's nothing you could say  
Nothing you__ could do  
There's no other way  
__When it comes to the truth  
So keep holding on  
'Cause you know we'll make it through  
__We'll make it through_

Nighttime soon came with its familiar sounds of nocturnal pokemon all around. The full moon was out and cast a silvery reflection off of the surface of the dark ocean water. Rose began to feel sleepy, but with nowhere to go, she would have to stay here until morning. She felt horribly lost – both her friends, or what had seemed to be her friends, left her stranded here. Tempest was an exception, seeing as she couldn't just come up out of the water and join her on foot. Still, she missed having her around. She was probably the only one she could talk to about her problems at this point.

Almost on cue, Rose saw the large pokemon rising up out of the water in the distance. She swam over slowly, with the cold ocean water glistening on her skin in the moonlight, then stopped just in front of the dock.

_What is the matter, child? _she asked in her usual gentle voice.

"I feel so lost, Tempest" responded Rose, trying to hold back tears. "Everyone's left me… Sage doesn't want to be around me anymore and I don't think Delilah would want to see me either..."

_Just becaus__e you have parted ways with her does not mean she left you. She told you that she had to go see her mother. How do you know she doesn't miss you just as much as you do her? She never left your side even during the little bit of time you had spent together._

Rose thought about this in silence, then asked "How do you know so much about us?"

_I ca__n read thoughts, child, I have told you this. But I can only read those filled with strong emotion. Judging by what I am seeing, it must be love. You do not have to necessarily be one's mate to love them; companionship can be love as well. As for your problem with Sage, I think he just needs some time. It's hard for a pokemon to cope with a newly evolved body and mind. Unfortunately, I am not telling you this from experience – I cannot evolve – but I have been to many places and I have seen many things over the course of my life. Do not give up on Sage and he will not give up on you._

Rose nodded comprehensively. "Thank you Tempest" she said with a small smile.

_Are you going to stay here all night? _asked Tempest.

"I'll have to. I can't go anywhere else."

_Just be careful then, and remember what I said. I will be here, as I've said before, if you ever need me._

With another bow, she disappeared into the water, leaving Rose alone on the dock once more. She laid on her back and looked up into the endless night sky and at all the countless stars, wondering if Delilah was looking up at that same sky that very moment. She soon fell into a deep, dreamless sleep, hugging her guitar close to her shivering body.

_There's nothing you could say  
Nothing you could do  
There's no other way  
__When it comes to the truth  
So keep holding on  
_'_Cause you know -_

Delilah turned off her iPod abruptly, obviously in no mood to start feeling down after such a good day. She was finally home with her mother, who was nice enough to let her stay as long as she wanted to. After a stressful three weeks of being out on the road, this was exactly what she needed. She was laying on her back in the cool grass of her backyard with Jade right next to her, both of whom were looking up into the night sky. Delilah made pictures in her mind with the many stars that dotted the endless black mass, and at one point her mind saw the shape of a rose.

She turned away, feeling for the second time today a sudden loneliness. Sure, she had her faithful pokemon Jade by her side all the way, but it seemed like she was missing something – like there was something more for her out there. She thought of Rose and wondered what she must be doing right now. Surely she couldn't be this pathetic, looking up into the night sky and not even knowing what it was that she was so sad about.

Jade yawned loudly, disrupting Delilah's thoughts. Moving over a few inches, the Nidoran snuggled up against her warm body and began falling asleep. Delilah smiled as she continued stargazing, silvery reflections of the tiny dots showing in her emerald eyes. She fell asleep after about an hour, dreaming about the night she and Rose had watched the sunset together.


	15. Can't Be Saved

_(A/N) I'm going to be trying something a little different – switching perspectives. I don't want to keep focusing on Rose's point of view too much, since Delilah is also a main character. So I've decided to show what's going on with her as well. I also have not gotten to describe any of her past yet. Hopefully this makes the story much more interesting. Enjoy._

Chapter 15: Can't Be Saved

Bright emerald eyes opened themselves to the light of a new day, which was creeping its way up over the horizon and cutting through the trees in golden slivers. Delilah sat up groggily and wiped her eyes, then realized she had fallen asleep outside. Jade was already up and happily nibbling at the dew-covered grass and a few budding springtime flowers. Delilah got up and stretched.

"Come on Jade, let's see what Mom's up to" she said as she walked toward the house. Jade hobbled after her up the back stairs. The delicious smell of bacon and eggs filled their noses as they came in the door and wiped their feet on the mat.

"Delilah, you fell asleep again out there" her mother said, leaning over a sizzling hot pan. "Sometimes I wonder why I put your bed back in your room."

"Sorry Mom" responded Delilah as she tried to suppress a laugh. "Do you need help with breakfast?"

"You could help set out the plates if you want."

Delilah nodded and got out three plates from the cabinet – one for herself, her mother, and her father. Once everything was set, she decided to make Jade breakfast as well. She grabbed some lettuce and other fresh vegetables from the fridge, then got out the cutting board from the cabinet. Her whole demeanor suddenly changed when she heard her father coming down the stairs from his bedroom. He wasn't usually up this early.

"What the _hell_ is with all the noise down here?" he asked grumpily, standing in the doorway with his arms crossed.

"There's no noise, we're making breakfast" Delilah said with venom in her voice. She couldn't stand her father, especially in the mornings.

"I think you should watch your attitude, missy."

"I'm turning 23 soon Dad, don't tell me what to do."

Silence fell over the large kitchen as the two women continued making breakfast. The man stood in the doorway, watching Jade sitting under the dining table in the other room.

"When are you getting rid of that thing?" he asked, leaning one shoulder on the wooden door frame.

Delilah was silent, having already gone over this a hundred times before. Her father was against her willingness to travel around the continent so much. He had always urged her to give up on pokemon and settle down into her own house with a real job. He didn't even like her staying here at _his_ residence, as it only meant more food and money being wasted on her as well as Jade, whom he simply saw as her pet.

After a long stretch of angry silence, breakfast was finally served. Delilah gave Jade her carefully prepared salad in a dish, then sat down at the dining room table and waited to be served herself. She thanked her mother kindly when her plate was filled generously, which her father looked at with disgust. He served himself just as much, then sat down across from her. Her mother sat between them with her own plate and began eating in silence.

"How much do you weigh?" he asked suddenly as he watched Delilah eat her meal.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. I'm wondering because I don't think you need to be eating _that _much food."

Delilah slammed her fork and knife down, which caused Jade to jump in fright. "Fuck you" she spat as she got up and took her food into the living room. She turned the TV on, sat down onto the couch, and attempted to eat, but had suddenly lost her appetite. She set her plate down hopelessly on the coffee table in front of her, then stared at the screen trying not to cry.

"Why the hell do you have to say that to her??" the mother asked angrily as she, too, got up from the table.

"She needs to start eating right, Alicia, look at her!"

"There's nothing wrong with her, Jack! She eats just fine, she's not even overweight!"

The argument continued for about ten minutes longer, after which Delilah had decided she couldn't stand it anymore. She got up from the couch, leaving her food and her pokemon behind, and stomped upstairs to her room. She made her way down the narrow hall to her door, went inside, then slammed it shut behind her. She was sick of all the arguing and yelling everyday. She didn't even feel welcome at her own house when it came to her father – he always had something to say against her. He never approved of anything she did, even when she was a little girl.

Delilah sat down on her bed and tried to breathe, knowing how she got when she was angry. This didn't work – she got up, went over to the window, and punched it with all the force she could muster. She watched it crack and shatter beneath her now bloodied knuckles, then fell to her knees on the broken glass. She didn't care that the sharp pieces were digging into her skin - her anger always numbed any kind of pain.

After a moment of staying there with her head in her hands, she heard a scratching at the door. She got up and was greeted by Jade when she opened it. "Nido-nido!" she said as she walked inside and hopped up onto the bed. Delilah sat next to her and pet her head, wondering just how mad her father would be now that she had broken his window. She didn't care though, she had over 2,500 on her – she could easily pay for it to be fixed.

When the house was quiet once more, Delilah cautiously made her way downstairs to grab a broom. Alicia was washing dishes, green eyes reddened from crying. Her hands shook as she washed each plate slowly, seemingly oblivious to everything around her. Jack must have left the house in anger, as he always did. Delilah got the broom from the closet in the kitchen, then hurried quietly back upstairs to sweep up the glass before anyone found it.

When the job was done, she decided to go out and get all-new Plexiglas _(A/N: Yes, this is how it is spelled – took me long enough to find out online how to spell the damn thing…)_ for her window, to prevent herself from breaking it again. Jade stayed where she was on the bed while Delilah went out quickly to get what she needed from the store. Fixing the window was no big deal – Jack was a carpenter and had taught her everything she needed to know about fixing things like this around the house. Jade watched her hands work quickly but skillfully, installing the pre-cut pieces of acrylic into the windowpane and caulking it. She took out the old glass pieces to be replaced as well, then cleaned up before Jack came home.

Luckily, he stayed in his room all night. He didn't even come out to eat dinner, which Delilah didn't feel like eating either. She stayed in her room with her iPod turned up, politely dismissing Alicia's urges to eat something. She didn't want to seem ungrateful for the food she made, but she just wasn't hungry at all. Another day of starving herself it seemed.

Jade, faithful until the end, stayed cuddled up against Delilah the entire time she laid there sulking. She stared up at her white ceiling, wishing she could be anywhere but here. She had no house, to her father's dislike, but it made sense seeing as she traveled so much. Why spend all that money on a house when she wouldn't stay there for more than a week at a time anyway? She rented hotels, she came to live with her parents, she even camped out in some places. She didn't need a house when there were more efficient, cheaper ways to accommodate her lifestyle.

Misunderstood. If there were any word in the dictionary to describe Delilah, that would be it. She tried so hard to live up to her father's expectations without having to change who she was, but that obviously did not work to his liking. He apparently did _not _like her for who she was, and therefore strived to make her life miserable until she changed. But she would never change – this is who she was and who she'd always be.

She scoffed to herself, wondering what he would think if she ever admitted to him that she was gay. No one knew but her mother and maybe a few friends. She'd never been in a relationship with a girl before, but she'd always wanted to. Part of her thought that even as a child, she wanted that more than anything. Jack made her fearful of relationships with guys, and he had been that way to her for as long as she could remember. She longed for the gentle touch of a woman, and not in a sexual way. She wanted someone she could hold, or who could hold her, when things got this bad.

With a long sigh, she turned over on her pillow and stared out the window. From here she could see the neighbor's front lawn and two little boys playing tag. She wished, in a way, that she could be out there playing with them. Of course, it would be awkward if she, as a 22-year-old, went out there to run around with little boys. But she missed her childhood and she missed getting to pick on the boys who had always called her a sissy or a loser. She missed being the tomboy that would always climb the trees at the park and played with soldiers rather than dolls.

As always, Jack disapproved of this. He would always complain that she didn't dress like a "polite young lady" or that she never played with girls rather than boys. Alicia, on the other hand, loved her daughter for who she was and had always encouraged her to never change. That was who Delilah was - not some preppy girly girl who dressed up all pretty for school and had friends who would do each other's makeup. She could never picture herself doing any of that.

Over the course of the next few hours, she tossed and turned in her bed as she tried to get comfortable. Sleep was definitely not happening anytime soon – she was just too restless. Too many thoughts flooded her brain and kept her awake. She felt trapped too, not at all used to staying in one place for so long. She yearned to be back on the road, and hopefully meeting up with Rose once more. This thought always gave her hope for tomorrow – she made herself believe that someday, the two of them would cross paths again and Rose would actually want to see her. She turned over one final time toward the window again, staring out at the sunset.

She watched the sun disappear in the distance, turning the sky into a medley of orange and pink colors. It reminded her so much of that night with Rose, when she had spilled her heart out for her. She didn't, however, admit to having any feelings for her – she was unsure of it at the time. Now she could swear there was something there; something she felt but couldn't exactly describe. It had to be something big. Why else would she miss someone and think about them _this _much? She finally fell asleep, once again dreaming of being in the arms of a beautiful younger girl with bright blue eyes and long reddish brown hair.

_(A/N) A nice quick update that doesn't sound too much like a filler chapter. Well,_ _I hope it doesn't. I was trying to steer away from chapters that only focused on Rose traveling places - it wasn't really getting anywhere and that's where I would bullshit a lot of things. Now I think I'm getting somewhere. I'll continue to swap between points of view, hopefully not making it too complicated._


	16. These Dreams

Chapter 16:

_(A/N) I've been trying to make all my chapters longer, but it didn't seem to work as well for this chapter... Next chapter will be pretty big though, you'll see._

Chapter 16: These Dreams

"_Time to get up, sweetie" said a gentle male voice from somewhere in the darkness. An eight-year-old Rose opened her eyes to the blue eyes of her father, standing over her with a loving smile on his face. Confused, she sat up slowly and stretched. "It's Christmas morning you know." Rose, suddenly excited, jumped out of bed and went straight for the living room in her favorite Squirtle pajamas. Her mother was nowhere to be seen, but there were a few presents under the beautifully decorated tree in the corner, which Rose wasted no time in opening._

_The best present was saved for last, which her father kept in his room until she was done opening the others. She almost exploded with happiness when she peeled back the shiny blue wrapping paper, revealing a brand-new acoustic guitar. Right away, she began playing random melodies on it and never let it leave her side that whole day, during which her mother gave her disapproving looks. She didn't like the sound of it or the money her husband had spent on it. She'd never bought Rose any presents for any holiday though, seeing them as just a waste of space and money. This brought on Rose's belief that she, too, was a waste of space and money._

_Over the next year or so, she watched her mother slowly deteriorate as she got into bad habit after bad habit, but Rose wasn't entirely sure what was wrong with her. First, the chain smoking, which her husband did not like but tolerated anyway. It had gotten as bad as a whole pack a day before she realized it just wasn't doing anything for her anymore. Then came the binge drinking almost every night, which had eventually led to the huge argument only a year later._

"_I'm only doing what is right for OUR daughter!" Rose's mother screamed as she hurled yet another random object at her husband._

"_You can't be doing anything right for her if all you do is get drunk off your ass every night!" He simply sidestepped away from the drunken woman's attack._

"_Maybe I wouldn't drink so much if YOU didn't fuck up so much!" She pointed an accusing finger at him, shaking with anger._

_Back and forth back and forth – the now ten-year-old Rose watched them as they screamed louder and louder at each other until, unbelievably, her father was the one to break down in tears. He shoved her mother to the floor – something Rose had never seen him do – then went upstairs to pack his things as he spat swear after swear._

_Rose sat on the kitchen floor in the corner, hugging her beloved guitar close to her as she shook with fright. "Daddy can't leave, he just can't" she whispered into the smooth wood. "Please don't leave Daddy…" For the first time in her life, but certainly not the last, she broke down into an uncontrollable crying fit._

_Sure enough, Daddy was nowhere to be seen the next morning. His bed was stripped of its sheets, either by him or his wife, and the photographs that had once hung on the walls were gone. Rose ran, panic-stricken, to and from every room in the house at least three times before she finally had to admit that he was gone for good. She couldn't understand why he would just leave her; he had said he loved her and she loved him too._

"_Mommy doesn't love me..." She was speaking to her guitar again, sitting outside on the old porch swing only a few days after the incident. "She just wants to hurt me, like she hurt Daddy. I wish I could leave like he did, but I'm just too scared…" She broke into tears again, shaking from head to toe and hugging her only friend tightly._

_Four years later was when she decided to take her first walk down to the woods in the back of her house. Looking behind her cautiously to make sure her mother wasn't watching, she ran toward the thick group of trees and did not stop until she came across a clearing. She found an old, rotting log and sat down until she caught her breath. She could see all kinds of pokemon around her, most of which she had never even seen before._

_Among the foreign woodland creatures was a small blue crocodile that looked completely lost, waddling around on newly-developed feet and crying out in fear. Rose approached him to get a better look. He had to have just been a hatchling that was separated from his mother. She sat down only a few feet from the pokemon, then began talking to him. "You don't have a Daddy either, do you?" she asked him. He looked up at her with helpless red eyes and to her surprise, he shook his little head. "I know how you feel. You should come home with me so you're not lost anymore." Immediately, the Totodile went home with her and was given a name soon after._

_Her mother, of course, did not approve of her having a pokemon. She learned this back when she was ten, when she had been forbidden to go get her trainer's license and first pokemon from Professor Oak. As expected of her sadistic, drunken mother, she was beaten for bringing home this "filthy wild animal". Even so, she kept Sage and quickly became friends with him. She could not keep him in the house, however, but since her mother almost never left the house, his home was right on the front porch where the swing was. She would wake up in the morning and find him sitting there, staring at the clear blue sky and swinging back and forth. Then she would join him and play her guitar for hours on end, just swinging life away…_

A 16-year-old Rose sat up from where she had fallen asleep on the dock that looked out onto the wide and seemingly endless ocean. She hated having these dreams, seeing as there was hardly anything good to remember in them. She tried to picture her father's face every time this happened, so that maybe someday she would find him, but all she could remember were the blue eyes much like her own. There had been no note, no warning – he just up and left once he finally cracked under the stress of having to live with her mother.

Rose got up slowly, not wanting to stay here in Vermilion any longer. She had to move on, to leave everything behind. She hated lingering, because that only brought on attachment. That's why she had left Pallet Town as soon as she could, without looking back, and it was the same reason she had been a little hesitant about going back there. Given the current situation, it seemed there was nothing she could do for Sage, who was probably halfway across the country for all she knew. He would not willingly come with her even if she did catch up with him eventually, so the only thing left to do was move on to Celadon City and find someone who probably _would _want to come with her.

She made sure her guitar and bag were on her back, then began walking up the path that led northward. It was awfully warm considering what the weather had been like the past couple of days. Of course, spring was ending soon. It was the middle of May, which meant that it could only get warmer. Rose was hungry, but she didn't care. She had a destination in mind, and when this happened it was easy to keep her mind off of otherwise tempting distractions. She told herself she would eat in the next city, which she remembered was Saffron City. It wasn't too far, though she wished again and again that she hadn't left her bike back in Viridian Forest.

Heading north past a few people going to and from Vermilion, Rose walked for a good half hour before finally reaching Saffron. This was when her hunger had finally gotten the best of her, so she decided to stop in at a small restaurant. Finally having the money to support herself, she could eat as she pleased. She sat down at one of the many tables in the restaurant until someone finally came to her table. It was a shorter, slightly heavy-set woman with long brown hair and if it weren't for her matching brown eyes, she could have sworn it was Delilah. Rose ordered a small meal to save money, ate quickly, then left right away. She needed to keep moving no matter what, and the waitress at the restaurant gave her the determination to do just that.

Thinking back on the night she and Delilah had parted, she remembered the Rapidash she was riding went toward the west, so that's the direction in which she walked. It was about 10 in the morning – plenty of time to travel. She hadn't noticed before that there were signs near the roads that would tell her what town she was headed for; she didn't really need a map. "ROUTE 7/CELADON CITY" read the nearest sign with an arrow pointed westward. Up ahead, Rose could see someone on the road headed toward her. It was a man wearing all black, even though it was a pretty warm day. As he got closer, Rose noticed in horror that there was a large R on the front of his shirt – Team Rocket. Before she could run anywhere, he spotted her.

"Hey you!" he called, quickening his pace. Rose stopped dead in her tracks, her heart threatening to burst out of her chest. She looked him over, quickly realizing that this was the Rocket member that had managed to escape from Silph Co.'s building. She acted quickly and made a run for it, back toward Saffron. She couldn't keep going on to Celadon, seeing as the man was coming from there. The man immediately gave chase and proved to be much faster when he caught up with her and grabbed her. He nearly tackled her right to the ground.

"You just stay right here girly" he said, out of breath from running.

"Bite me" Rose said, aiming a kick for his groin. A not-so-manly yelp told her she certainly didn't miss, so she ran from him and turned, running straight into the wooded area without looking back. She tried to remember where the police station was in Saffron and hoped she could get there quickly, but before she could react fast enough she was grabbed once again. This time it was by two other unfamiliar Rocket members.

"I don't think you're going anywhere but with us!" said one of the men. Rose struggled against their strong hands, only to be slapped hard across the face.

"Don't try and get away, you know we're much stronger than you" said the other man, his lips twisted into a sneer.

Rose tried to kick at them, but to no avail. One of them managed to hit her hard in the back of the head. Black spots clouded her vision as she went limp and fell to the ground, hearing sinister laughter from the men before she had finally passed out.

_Another dream had worked its way into her unconscious mind, and this time she was high up on a mountaintop with Sage and Delilah, talking and laughing together like the best of friends. At one point, Rose had stepped back a little too far and slipped, but managed to grab the ledge at the last second. She screamed for help, trying with all her might to keep her grip tight. Sage completely ignored her desperate screams and walked away, but Delilah immediately leaned over the edge and reached out a hand to her. She tried to grab it, but Delilah was suddenly floating, further and further until she had completely disappeared into the distance. After a few minutes, Rose lost the strength to hold on and fell forever, being swallowed up by the endless black void below…_

She woke up immediately and nearly screamed, but calmed down once she realized it was just another weird dream. Blinking away the blur of just recently waking up, she looked around her. She found herself in a basement of sorts and could have sworn she saw dark figures sitting on the large couches in the back. She tried to move her hands, but something cold and hard was pinning them down. Looking down in confusion, she discovered chains wrapped tightly around both of her wrists, which were pinned to the arms of a wooden chair. Her ankles were also restrained.

"Now you can't go anywhere" said someone within the dimly-lit room. He stepped into the pool of light in front of Rose to reveal himself – a man wearing a suit with an R-shaped pin on his chest. "I'm sure we have never met before, but I know about you. You're the one who got half my members arrested… Do you realize how much business I'm losing over it??"

Rose chose to remain silent, watching the man intently as if he were a cheetah ready to pounce. Her eyes squeezed shut, suddenly blinded by light when someone had turned on the lights in the room. Behind the man who had spoken, she noticed more Team Rocket members sitting around on the couches. One of them had her guitar on his lap and was attempting to play it, only to be laughed at by the others. Another two of them were going through her bag. They marveled at the sight of the 2,500 they found, then broke into an even louder chorus of laughs when they found something else of interest in there. One man pulled out a little plastic baggy from a hidden pocket on the inside, which contained a razorblade.

He laughed, then said "Hey look, we got ourselves a cutter here!" They passed it around to each other, making jokes about it.

"Ignore them" said the man in the suit as Rose scowled at him. "You won't be around for much longer anyway. John, can you come here?" One of the men cleared his throat after laughing so much, then approached the one who called him, who whispered something into John's ear. He nodded, then went into the other room to get something. He immediately came back with a canister of oil and matches.

Rose, now having something to be terrified about, struggled against the chains with as much strength as she could muster, only to be slapped by the man. "There's no use in doing that girl, you can't go anywhere." He snapped his fingers, which was a cue for John to walk over to Rose and dump out the contents of the container onto her, some of which got into her mouth. She coughed it back up, still attempting to get out of the chains, but burst into frantic tears when she realized there was nothing she could do. The man stood over her and sneered, then snapped his fingers one more time.


	17. Hit Me With Your Best Shot

_(A/N) Aw crap, I just realized a big mistake I made. I'm not sure if anyone caught it yet. Jade was supposed to be named after Delilah's mother (it was mentioned in a much earlier chapter), whom I accidentally named Alicia. Whoopsie… See, this is what happens when I make an attempt to write a fic longer than 10 chapters. Anyway, try to ignore it and enjoy. This chapter is much longer than the others. Oh yes, and sorry for the long wait again._

Chapter 17: Hit Me With Your Best Shot

Delilah opened her emerald eyes to the bright sunlight coming in through her window and blinked a few times to let them adjust to it. She sat up slowly and stretched, nudging the sleeping Jade beside her a little. She stirred a bit in her sleep, but otherwise did not move. Delilah whispered an apology to the pokemon, then slipped out of bed and put her slippers on. Thoughts from the previous day came back to her, but she quickly tried to think of anything _but_ that.Today was a new day and possibly a better one; she couldn't tell just yet. But for some reason, there was a lurking sense in the back of her mind that told her that something was going to happen.

After shaking off the eerie feeling, she made her way quietly down the carpeted stairs into the kitchen and glanced at the clock above the stove – 8:25. She yawned, then proceeded to raid the fridge a bit for something to eat."I guess this'll have to do for now" she mumbled to herself as she grabbed an apple out of the drawer and closed it.

"Can't fucking stay out of the fridge for one minute…" said a voice from the doorway. It was Jack, dressed and ready to leave for work soon. Delilah ignored him, which seemed to be the only way around, and headed for the back door. She could find some peace and quiet out on the porch for a while. She opened the sliding glass door, walked outside into the warm spring sunshine, then shut it behind her.

The old wooden lawn chair creaked under her weight as she sat down, putting the apple on her lap. With a sigh, she stared down at it. The smooth red skin practically glistened in the morning sunlight and it looked delicious, but Delilah wasn't hungry all of a sudden. Something bothered her, but she couldn't figure out what it was. She looked around in a slight state of paranoia, green eyes scanning the rows of trees around her backyard. Trees everywhere, no matter where she turned. Kanto seemed to be just one big forest, thicker in some places than others (such as Viridian). She couldn't shake the ominous feeling that clouded her thoughts, and she couldn't exactly tell if it was good or bad. Staring up into the vast blue sky as if the answer were up there, she saw a few Pidgey fly by. Nothing out of the ordinary. She wished, for a moment, that she could learn to fly just like them. The thought immediately left her mind as she nearly jumped out of her chair; the sliding glass door behind her suddenly opened to reveal a tired-looking Alicia.

"Sweetie, someone's here to see you" she said, adjusting her purple bathrobe tie. "I'm a bit curious as to _why_ you would have a visitor this early in the morning…"

Delilah shrugged and got up, leaving the apple behind on the chair; she could save it for Jade later on. Alicia walked back upstairs to her bedroom, leaving Delilah in the living room. She suppressed a gasp and backed up a little as she came face-to-face with a man not much older than she, with thick black hair that was carefully groomed and slicked back.

"What are _you_ doing here??" she asked, eyes wide.

"Well, I was in the neighborhood and I just happened to find your house…" He smirked in an almost smug manner, looking down at her with chocolate brown eyes. He had a large nose and very rugged features.

"I thought you moved on to the Pokemon League a while ago" said Delilah, still in disbelief that she was seeing this familiar face.

"Yes, but I lost, so I came here to train a little more. To tell you the truth, I intended to come see you here. I missed you so much." He leaned in for a hug, which Delilah turned down with a small push backward.

"Derrick…! You can't just come here unannounced and then try to be all friendly with me as if nothing happened. I haven't seen you in over a year after the breakup; for all I knew you were glad to get rid of me." His smile had always intimidated her, as friendly as he tried to make it look. It looked more like a sneer that clearly spelled "danger". She took note of the warning and watched his every move like a hawk.

"Why would I want to get rid of such a pretty little lady like yourself?" he asked, crossing his overly tanned and muscular arms over his chest. This stance didn't make things any less nerve-wracking.

"Probably because you're a drunk" Delilah said bluntly, moving quickly away from him and taking a seat on the couch in the living room. Unsurprising to her, he followed.

"I've changed now baby, look at me." He held out his arms as if to actually tell her to look him over. "Do I look like a drunk?"

She scoffed and folded her arms. "Always have, always will. Now get out of my house."

"Oh come on now, why would you want to kick me out without giving me a chance?" He walked over to her and plopped himself down on the couch beside her uninvited. She gave him a glare that only wished death upon him, but he ignored the warning and carelessly wrapped a strong arm around her.

She struggled a bit, but gasped as soon as she felt soft lips come in contact with her sensitive neck. "Derrick…" she breathed, trying hard not to tilt her head to give him better access to her sweet spot. He trailed kissed up to her ear, which is when she decided enough was enough. She pulled away immediately and said "Alright Derrick, you really need to leave." She tried to stand up, only to be grabbed in a certain forbidden zone. This was his biggest mistake yet.

"Come on baby, you know you like it" he said with a hungry look in his eye.

_SMACK._

He let go as soon as her clenched fist came into contact with his dark face, busting his lip open and making it bleed. He reacted swiftly, wrapping both his arms around her and attempting to force her to lie on the couch. She managed to kick him a few times in the groin, which only made him slap her clear across her tear-streaked face. Just before her attempt to let out a scream, he covered her mouth with a large, calloused hand.

"You wouldn't want the whole house waking up, would you??" he growled, panting through his teeth as he tried to remove her pants with one free hand. The button came undone easily, then he slid the zipper down with just as much ease. She could feel his erection pressed hard against her thigh and he grunted softly as he rubbed against her. She whimpered and wriggled underneath his body, trying desperately to get away.

Suddenly, from the corner of her eye, she saw a bluish-green blur run across the living room carpet and head right toward Derrick. It was Jade, running at full speed with the horn on her head pointing directly at him. He cried out in pain as she jumped up and tackled into his side, slicing the skin open with ease. He released Delilah and held his bleeding side, looking around angrily for the Nidoran.

"What's going on in here?!" demanded a familiar voice. Delilah was more than relieved to see her mother standing in the doorway with a meat cleaver in her hand. Derrick, in the middle of aiming a kick at the fleeing Jade, immediately stopped and seemed frozen to the spot. Alicia quickly stepped forward a few times and screamed "You'd better leave right NOW before I call the cops!!" Her knuckles were white as her hand gripped the knife tightly.

Derrick, clearly stunned, knew that he couldn't overpower both her and Jade without any kind of weapon or pokemon of his own. He sneered and glared at her for a minute, then finally headed for the back door. "Don't think this is over!" he said, mostly talking to Delilah. "I'll be back…" He slammed the glass door, nearly cracking it, then disappeared around the corner.

"Oh God, are you okay honey??" Alicia asked, dropping her weapon and running to Delilah's side. She was shaking and on the verge of collapsing.

"I… I'll be fine. I'm okay" she muttered, sitting down on the couch and forcing herself not to cry.

Jade immediately hopped up onto the couch and curled up beside her, nuzzling her affectionately to get her to calm down. The pokemon looked up at her friend, trembling a bit from the incident. Delilah, however, was completely hyperventilating as tears streamed down her face. She mentally scolded herself for being so weak, furiously wiping her wet face.

This wasn't the first time this had happened to her. Delilah could remember, all too well, the day Derrick had tried to get her drunk the last night they went out. He bought her drinks, only to be left ignored on the bar counter. He shrugged it off and drank them all himself, thinking that if she couldn't be drunk enough for him to fuck her, then he would make up for it by getting himself twice as drunk. His theory almost worked, had it not been for the one cop who happened to be there undercover.

After becoming as inebriated as humanly possible, Derrick forcibly dragged Delilah to his car by the hand and pushed her inside. Then he pressed his lips to hers and forced his rough tongue inside. She struggled against him, but just couldn't overpower him. She pleaded helplessly for him to stop, but her shirt was soon ripped off of her, literally, and he was just about to undo his pants before a beam of light caught his eye. Turning around, he came face-to-face with a cop, looking in on the scene from the outside of the car. He ordered him to open the door, a demand that was completely and blatantly ignored. Derrick was about to turn back to his victim when the cop had simply opened the door – Derrick had forgotten to lock it, to Delilah's relief.

He was dragged out onto the cold, wet pavement, instantly handcuffed, and thrown into the cop's car. Delilah was given a ride home by another cop who was called to the scene, who was generous enough to offer his own shirt to her since hers was ruined. She had been unbelievably lucky that night, but the smallest variable could have changed everything. Derrick could have locked the car doors, making it harder for the cop to get to her, or the cop could have not been there at the bar at all.

The incident that morning, when Derrick had shown up suddenly at her house, made her think back on this. Luck was on her side once more, but it also made her all the more paranoid. Now she was too scared to leave the house – he might try to break in and harm her family. But staying here was also too dangerous. She hoped and prayed that her father had the heart to at least protect his family if Derrick ever came back. Her bedroom was near her parents', which would help immensely if anything ever _did _happen.

Hugging Jade close to her, she stayed curled up on the couch the entire day. She didn't even bother watching TV. She just stared out the window at the beautiful spring scenery, wanting to go out there but was too scared to do so. At one point, she thought she had seen something run past the door. She sat up, suddenly curious and scared at the same time. She could have sworn it was a pokemon. After staring at absolutely nothing for five minutes, she turned away with a shrug. Maybe she really was getting paranoid.

Nothing good was on TV as she flipped through channel after channel to get her mind off of things. After cycling through at least three times, she turned it off hopelessly and put the remote down on the table. Jade looked up at her worriedly, then perked her ears up when she suddenly heard a scratching sound at the door. Delilah's heart leapt into her throat when she heard it. She tried to ignore it to see if the sound would go away, but it continued for another minute before she finally put her fears aside and looked behind her at the door.

A chubby blue pokemon was looking in through the glass and scratching at it with his paw. At first glance, Delilah assumed it was any other pokemon that had gotten lost and decided to come here, but then she immediately noticed fiery red eyes staring at her fiercely.

"Sage??" she asked in disbelief. The pokemon seemed to have understood her and stood up straight, waiting to be let inside. She went over, opened the sliding door, and he immediately hurried inside. "What the hell are you doing here? Where's Rose??"

Sage ignored her and hopped up on the couch next to Jade, who sniffed him curiously. "Nido-nido!" she cried when she discovered it really was Sage. She snuggled up against him, but was blatantly ignored as always. Delilah sighed and sat next to the two of them, trying to figure out what to make of all this. If Sage was here with her, then Rose had to have been close by. But why would she come all the way back here if she had originally wanted to go back to Pallet Town? Did she really care about seeing Delilah again, or was it something else entirely? She turned over the possibilities in her mind, then made a decision – she would have to go out and find Rose, since this might be the only chance she would get to see her again.

"Sage, _please_, you have to show me where Rose is…" Delilah pleaded desperately, clearly swallowing her pride (she was, after all, begging a pokemon to do something for her).

Sage seemed to be thinking it over for a moment, scratching the side of his large head, then got up from the couch. He looked out the door from where he stood, as if debating with himself whether or not he wanted to go, then hobbled over to it and scratched on the glass. Delilah took the hint, though she was confused as to why Sage suddenly wanted to help Rose.

"Okay, it's settled then. We'll go after I talk to Mom. Jade, you have to stay here to make sure Derrick doesn't come back. You can protect my parents from him." Her faithful pokemon looked sad, but suddenly perked up when she said "I'll bring you back something really good."

"Nido-nidoran!" she cried, licking Delilah's hand affectionately.

"Alright, stay here while I go up and talk to Mom."

She hurried upstairs to Alicia, who was sitting up in bed reading a book. Delilah explained the whole ordeal to her, making sure to assure her that Jade would be here to protect them at night, to which her mother responded "I think it's a good idea. You need to get out of the house anyway. Jade will keep us safe as long as I can trust that you'll come back soon. I don't need you getting hurt." Delilah nodded her head happily, then hugged her mother goodbye.

"Okay Sage, lead the way" said Delilah as she came down the stairs. She slung her bag over her shoulder and opened the door, ready to face anything that came her way. "Jade, you stay here."

When the she and Sage went out the door, she released her ever-loyal Pidgeot from its pokeball and was lifted up into the skies by the large bird. It soared high over Sage, who ran on all fours in the direction of Saffron City. Pidgeot circled as it flew, trying to slow its speed to match that of the Croconaw below. The sun beat down on Delilah as she looked into the distance as far as she could to see what she could see. After about 15 minutes, they were in the familiar Saffron City, weaving in and out of alleyways and over rooftops in search of Rose. Hours and hours passed like days, during which Delilah began growing tired. She came back down to earth and stopped in front of the Silph Co. building, sitting down on the front step and pulling out a water bottle from her bag.

Sage continued his search, however, stopping at every nearby house and sniffing the doorstep, but finding nothing. If he couldn't pick up a scent, then Delilah wouldn't have a single clue as to where Rose was. She sighed in frustration then took a large gulp of water, watching her faithful bird pokemon circle the skies for about the tenth time. She slouched against the doorframe behind her, convinced that things were hopeless at this point.

Nighttime soon came, as well as the doubt of ever getting any closer to the end of their search. Sage had finally sat down with Delilah, suddenly tired from constantly being on his feet. He fell asleep within minutes, leaning up against Delilah's body to keep warm and snoring loudly. Delilah looked up into the dark sky at the now waning moon. "Where are you…?" she asked in a whisper. As expected, she didn't get a reply or even a sign. She leaned her head on the sleeping pokemon next to her and fell asleep and for once, her mind wasn't bothered by distant dreams of the past.

Some kind of echoing, distant sound interrupted Delilah's deep sleep and she immediately woke up to the sounds of screeching tires. She looked over in the direction of the noise and saw a large truck speeding off into the distance, probably driven by some crazy drunk driver. She yawned, annoyed that she couldn't sleep for at least another hour, then shook Sage gently. He wasn't too happy to have been woken up either, but he chose not to let it bother him so much. Pidgeot, who had slept the night away with its head under its wing next to them, woke up soon afterwards and took off for the skies. Delilah had always admired how much he loved flying free like that and as always, she wished she could do the same. _It would make this search so much easier too, _she thought to herself.

She got up and stretched, now ready to start searching again; she couldn't just give up on Rose that easily. Delilah walked along the paved road as Sage followed her close behind, sniffing the ground all around his feet. Some people watched them curiously as they walked by, but did not have the courtesy to at least stop and help them search. Delilah walked ahead of Sage, stopping to look around the corner of a house. Finding nothing, she kept going before she realized Sage wasn't even following her anymore.

"Sage…? What are you doing?" she asked when she saw him sniffing at the ground a few yards away. He seemed to have found something in front of the restaurant. Delilah approached him from behind, watching his red eyes. They focused intently on the ground, then looked up toward the west. They had just come from there the previous day, but it seemed as though the scent was headed that way. All of a sudden, Sage ran off in that direction, weaving in and out of people's legs. Delilah ran after him, apologizing to the people she pushed out of the way, then stopped abruptly as she saw him sniff the ground once more. There were skid marks here, probably from the truck that had driven by moments ago. After further inspection, Sage decided to run back in the opposite direction.

Delilah sighed in frustration and ran after him as fast as she could, once again stopping behind him in front of an old-looking building. It looked hundreds of years old and completely empty, but Sage insisted they go inside to investigate. Delilah shrugged, then forced the rusted steel door open with a hard kick. She coughed as a light breeze kicked up some dust on the floor and she could have sworn she heard voices coming from the end of the dark hallway in front of her. Walking further into the suffocating darkness, she found stairs that went down into the basement. Sage ran toward this, sneezing as he tried to sniff the dusty ground, and Delilah followed.

"Woah, Boss, what the fuck are you doing??" asked a surprised voice from the back of the room where the rest of the Rocket members sat. The man in the suit held his hand up to stop John from lighting the match in his hand. He gave him a disappointed look as he waited, apparently enthralled by the privilege of burning someone alive.

"What seems to be the problem?" asked the man with more patience than was expected. The man who had spoken in the back stood up while the others looked at him in shock; no one ever interrupted the boss like this.

"I meant, well… why are we doing this? This isn't the mafia. I don't wanna sit around and watch that shit." Most of the men around him agreed to this, not at all excited to watch a little girl burn to death right in front of them.

"There was a reason you joined Team Rocket, my dear Derrick…" said the Boss, stepping a little closer to him to make sure he was heard. "You made a commitment, you chose to work under _my _jurisdiction, therefore rendering your opinions, along with those of everyone else in this room, void without question."

The members looked around at each other uncomfortably, then back at Derrick, who tried to look the least bit intimidated. It wasn't working. The Boss walked even closer to him until their noses almost touched. "Am I understood?" he asked with a forced calm in his voice.

Chocolate brown eyes met misty blue ones unblinkingly with a long, suspenseful silence that followed. Derrick tried come up with something to say against this man, but he realized that he might end up suffering the same fate as Rose if he tried to put his superior's authority into question.

With a forced "Yes" as his only response, Derrick sat back down in defeat next to the Rocket member who still had the guitar on his lap.

"If anyone else has something to say, please do so" said the Boss as he looked at each face staring at him in silence. No one dared open their mouths, knowing that their strongest member had just been intimidated with only a few words. "Good. John, please continue. If you so-called 'men' want to leave the room, then do it, but don't question the way I run _my_ business."

Four of them, one of them being Derrick, stood up and were about ready to leave until the door leading into the room was suddenly kicked in. There in the doorway stood Sage with a look of bloodlust on his face and Delilah was right behind him looking almost as angry. This time, all of the men stood up and took out their pokeballs, more than ready for a battle. Rose stared at Delilah in shock; it was as though an angel had suddenly burst into the room to save her.

"Kadabra, let's go!" ordered Delilah as she threw out a pokeball.

"Go Granbull!" yelled the closest member, who just so happened to be Derrick. "Well, well, well… It was a pleasure seeing you the other day babe, but this…" He didn't finish his sentence, but instead ordered his faithful canine to Tackle the opponent. The large bulldog immediately went after Delilah's pokemon, saliva dripping from his huge jaws, but Kadabra was just too fast. It teleported out of the way, then immediately responded to her voice calling out "Psybeam!" The Granbull clumsily dodged the attack, almost hitting Derrick.

"You stupid dipshit!" Derrick yelled as he aimed a kick for the pokemon, which yelped in pain. "Mega Kick!"

Again, this was dodged with another teleportation, then reciprocated with Fire Punch. The Granbull was knocked out cold and promptly replaced with another pokemon. From the sidelines, Sage was frantically gnawing at the chains that held Rose captive, but he didn't seem to be getting anywhere. Suddenly, a pokemon from the opposing side tackled him from behind unexpectedly. Turning around, he came face-to-face with his own kind – a Croconaw. Both sets of eyes seemed to blaze with fire as they went after each other like rabid dogs, biting and scratching whatever body parts were within reach.

"Sage! Sage, be careful!" yelled Rose as she struggled in the chains. This proved itself to be useless, seeing as she clearly didn't have super-human strength to break free.

Derrick's newly released Machoke was also easily defeated by Kadabra. Delilah went right for her next victim, John, who sent out a Misdreavus. It sent out a blast of dark energy – Shadow Ball – and defeated Kadabra in one hit. Since Pidgeot was out flying around somewhere, and Jade was at home, Delilah was out of pokemon. The opponent returned his pokemon and stood there with a satisfied grin, large arms crossed over his chest in the usual Derrick fashion. Delilah immediately lunged at him and kicked him hard in the stomach, sending him reeling backward and landing hard against the stone wall behind him. He was knocked out cold.

Sage and the other Croconaw continued to tear each other apart, both bleeding profusely from deep wounds all over their bodies. With one last Headbutt from Sage, the exhausted opponent was thrown like a rag doll across the room and did not get back up. Sage, remembering what he had been doing before he was attacked, went right for the chains again. This time, probably using the strength built up from his anger, he finally broke through them enough so that Rose could wriggle her way out of them.

"Arbok, Bind her!" came a voice from across the room. The previously unseen pokemon, released from the Boss himself, quickly coiled itself around Rose and squeezed. The breath in her lungs was immediately pushed out and her ribs felt like they were on the verge of breaking. Colorful spots appeared before her eyes and she truly believed this to be the end of her.

"NO!!" Delilah screamed as she punched and kicked at the large snake. This only made it squeeze harder. Sage attempted to approach the Arbok, but stopped when Delilah said "No, that'll only make things worse! Stay where you are!"

"I'll let her go only if you agree to cooperate with us" the Boss said with a smirk.

Delilah, knowing she had to make a decision fast, agreed to do whatever it was that Team Rocket wanted. The grip on Rose's slender body was loosened, but not released. She gasped for air and shook violently, having just had a brush with Death _twice_.

"That's a good little girl" said the Boss as he signaled for one of the members to grab hold of Delilah. She gave in without a struggle, knowing that doing so would be putting Rose's life on the line. Again.

"Gentlemen, escort these fine young ladies to their rooms." The Rocket members nodded as the order was given, then forced Delilah and Rose into the room from where John had gotten the matches and oil. This room was even more dimly-lit and looked quite like a dungeon. There was a long corridor leading into thick darkness and on either side were what looked like jail cells. The first cell on the right was where Rose was thrown into; Delilah into the cell next to hers. The wounded Sage was thrown, quite violently, into the one across the narrow hallway.

"There. Let's go men; we have business to attend to." They each filed out of the room on command, back into the room where the fight had taken place.

Delilah sighed and rested her face against the cool bars of the cage, squeezing her eyes tightly. "This isn't exactly how I had hoped to see you again…" she said quietly. There was silence on the other side of the wall. "You okay there kid?"

"Yeah… just fine…" Rose said, staring at the cold, hard floor of her own cell.

"Well you're gonna have to keep talking to me so I don't end up thinking you died on me or something. I can't see you."

Rose nodded, not even caring that Delilah had _just_ gotten finished telling her that they had no visual contact. Things seemed hopeless as ever now. No matter where Rose turned, she always ended up in a bad situation. And it always seemed worse when she was with someone else, because she always endangered that person as well. She was beginning to think she would be better off dead. These thoughts had always invaded her mind, but she never thought to bring it up with Delilah or even Sage.

"You alive over there Miss?" asked Delilah as Rose's train of thought was rudely thrown off-course.

"Yeah… I'm just thinking."

"About what?"

"You wouldn't understand." Rose moved over to the corner of the cell closer to Delilah's, hoping this would provide her at least some comfort.

"Hey, if we're gonna be friends, you should at least be able to tell me things" Delilah responded, also moving to the corner of her own cell. They were so close they could hear each other breathing, but the thick stone wall separating them made it impossible to see each other.

"I thought you didn't do the whole 'friendship' thing" said Rose. Her voice was almost a whisper now that they were closer.

"Heh, you remembered that, huh?" Delilah whispered back.

"Yeah."

Delilah stretched and cracked her back. "Well it's worth a try, especially if we wanna get out of here alive. We need to work together, as corny as that sounds."

Rose looked up at the tiny window in her cell, which was the only thing providing nearby light. A piece of the bright blue sky could be seen and she almost wished she could be back home in Pallet. She had seemingly earned her freedom, only to become a caged bird just as quickly. What had she done to deserve any of this? For sixteen years, she was forced to live a life of poverty and abuse. It took every ounce of her courage to go on this journey and to make it as far as she did, but for what purpose? Everywhere she turned she seemed to attract the worst of luck. With everything she had been through and where she was headed to, will all this even matter in the end?

She could have smacked herself at that moment as hot tears rolled down her face and she could not muffle the sobs that escaped her lips. The entire room echoed with the sound of her cries, making everything seem so empty – no one out there to help her. But the angel who had rescued her from death earlier heard her cries and slipped a comforting hand between the bars of her cell. She reached across the stone wall and into Rose's cell and felt around for her hand, which she held out to her without saying a word. This would have been awkward if they were able to see each other, but Rose was hardly nervous at all as she held her angel's hand tightly as though she were afraid she'd leave her again.


	18. Unwell

_(A/N) I'm sorry for the unnecessarily long wait. Things have been stressful. But I'm trying. So, to avoid a life story, I'll just leave you to your reading. Enjoy.  
_

Chapter 18: Unwell

_All day  
Staring at the ceiling  
Making friends with shadows on my wall  
All night  
Hearing voices telling me  
That I should get some sleep  
Because tomorrow might be good for something  
Hold on  
I'm feeling like I'm headed for a  
Breakdown  
I don't know why…  
_

_"Hey, there's that weirdo who hates everyone."_

_These words were what hurt the most at school, mostly elementary. The strange looks, the cold shoulders, nothing stung as badly as the words that were said to her throughout the day. It made her constantly afraid. Afraid of people, afraid of school, afraid to even step out of her house in the mornings. She couldn't trust anyone, so she spent her days sitting far away from everyone else in class and at lunch. No one ever wanted to talk to her._

_"That Delilah girl is so weird. She doesn't talk to anyone…"_

_Why should she talk to anyone? Everyone she ever met only pretended to be her friend out of pity or maybe as some sick joke to laugh about with their real friends. Somehow, even though she never told anyone she was bi, they assumed it and ridiculed her for it. Those who had actually tried to become friends with her eventually left her after the rumors became their worst._

_"Hey Delilah, why don't you come and sit with us for a while?"_

_Rebecca was always known to have that bittersweet voice that made you hate her. That friendly façade that got people to like her even though she was, in all honesty, a complete bitch._

_"Here, sit next to Tiffany."_

_Tiffany was the skinny blond homophobe that never hesitated to point out a person's flaws. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat at the lunch table when a twelve-year-old Delilah had sat beside her. She knew the rumors and had always been scared that Delilah would try and hit on her some day. To put it bluntly, she thought it was disgusting._

_Snickers sounded from either side of Delilah, as though she was the only person at that table who was excluded from some inside joke of sorts. The girls each glanced at each other and at Delilah with mischievous looks in their eyes like a pack of hyenas ready to go in for the kill._

_"Tiffany, look who's having lunch with us today" said Rebecca with a smirk. She was beautiful apart from her attitude that she was very good at sugar-coating. Her skin was a natural caramel brown and she had long black hair that she almost always tied into a French braid._

_Tiffany looked cautiously to her left where Delilah sat, nervously looking anywhere but at the intimidating girls. No one could hear Tiffany muttering under her breath "Ew ew ew…" Rebecca, who sat across Tiffany and Delilah, looked to her friend beside her. She was the same skin tone but with shorter hair._

_"_Esta chica es un chiste_" Rebecca said to her friend with a laugh. She didn't care that Delilah had heard for obvious reasons._

_"_Entonces tengamos diversión con ella_" responded the other girl. They both giggled at each other as Delilah looked confusedly from one to the other. They looked at her and smiled maliciously and Delilah reciprocated with her own timid smile, unaware that they were tugging her around like a puppet._

_"I'll be right back" said Rebecca's friend as she got up and went to the lunch line. Tiffany, during the short amount of time, had moved a good two feet away from Delilah and was turning paler by the minute. It was as though she thought that if she sat too close to Delilah, she would catch her gayness like a common cold._

_"So, do you have a boyfriend at all?" asked Rebecca with a piercing gaze._

_"Um… No, not really…" Delilah mumbled as she played with her hands under the table. She could feel her face getting hot and assumed it was also getting quite red._

_"Oh? And why's that? There are lots of guys who would be good for you." At this moment Rebecca's friend was coming back with a tray of food and had decided to add to the conversation._

_"¿_Como ese chico_?" she said as she pointed to a skinny boy at another table with thick-framed glasses. The entire table burst out in a chorus of laughter and once again, Delilah was forced to smile nervously and pretend to have gotten the joke._

_Rebecca's friend continued walking past Delilah and once she was directly behind her, she tripped on some unseen object and the tray came crashing down. Potatoes and fries and pudding was spilled all over Delilah and the pack of hyenas was laughing even louder now. "Oops" said the girl as she stood there without cleaning up the mess. Thoroughly mortified, Delilah got up from the lunch table as fast as she could and ran out of the cafeteria without looking back.  
_  
_Talking to myself in public  
Dodging glances on the train  
I know they've all been talking 'bout me  
I can hear them whisper  
And it makes me think there must be something wrong  
With me  
Out of all the hours thinking  
Somehow  
I've lost my mind…_

_Going back home that day hadn't made anything any better. If anything, it made things so much worse. Delilah's father was the first person she ran into as she came in the door. He was half-ass dressed, meaning he had just come home from work and was ready to relax for the evening. Delilah walked right past him and into the kitchen to sit down, hoping her mother was home. She was nowhere to be found, meaning she was home alone with Jack._

_"When are you ever going to get out of this house?" he asked with venom in his voice. Delilah was silent, as always. She didn't want to make him any more angry or disappointed with her than he already was. For what reason, she never knew. She did so much around the house helping Alicia make dinner and clean. She tried so hard in school to get really good grades. She was everything a perfect daughter could be, so why could she never make her father happy?_

_"You need to go out and find some friends. You're always sitting around this damn house doing nothing at all. It's not healthy. You're just wasting your life away."  
_

Doing nothing??_ she thought angrily to herself._ Don't I do enough around the house? I help out Mommy whenever I can. I even cook your dinner sometimes. Isn't that enough?? _She stared at her hands, which were folded neatly on the table. Her gaze went anywhere but at Jack. She couldn't bear to look at his disapproving scowl anymore. Fresh tears were forming in her emerald eyes and were threatening to pour down her face, which was another reason not to look at him. __It was funny how she could make herself look so calm on the outside, but inside she was boiling with rage and hatred for Jack. She was like some volcano ready to explode, which would probably end up happening if Jack pushed her too far. But for now, she had to play it cool and try not to lose her head. Though she knew she should stand up for herself, she was far too young to defy Jack and cause problems._

_To Delilah's relief, Alicia finally came in through the back door with many bags of groceries. Delilah immediately perked up and went over to her to help put away everything while Jack sat down at the table and watched. He never volunteered to help with anything around the house, seeing it as the women's job to do so._

_"How was your day honey?" asked Alicia as she opened the fridge to put food away. Delilah didn't answer and tried to avoid eye contact as she put away all the frozen foods. "… I'll talk to you later about it then, alright?" Her daughter nodded, glad to have an excuse not to talk much since she was already on the verge of tears._

_Once the groceries were all put away, there was one bag left that was for Delilah. Alicia handed it to her, telling her it was a gift for doing so well in school this term. She made her way up to her bedroom, knowing her father wouldn't like it that Alicia had "wasted" money on some useless toy or game for her. But Alicia had always thought that Delilah deserved a reward once in a while for doing well in school. She never got them very often and Jack never got her any at all, so Alicia saw nothing wrong with it._

_Excited, Delilah peered into the plastic bag to see what was inside. It was a brand-new backpack with numerous pockets along with a belt to hold some pokeballs. She had always wanted these things ever since she got her trainer's license, seeing as almost every other trainer around her had them, and now she had the chance to be like everyone else instead of the weird nobody who never talked to anyone. Jade, her ever-faithful pokemon, came waddling into the room as Delilah tried on the belt and examined the backpack._

_"Nido?" said Jade as she hopped up on Delilah's bed and sniffed the air. She picked up the new fabric and leather smell and tilted her head curiously._

_"Look Jade! Look what Mommy bought me!" She showed off the belt around her waist, which she gazed at in her full-body mirror on the wall. She set the backpack down on the bed and let Jade take a look at it. Just then there was a knock on the door and Delilah nearly jumped out of her skin. To her relief, it wasn't Jack. Alicia walked in and shut the door behind her calmly, smiling a bit when she saw her daughter wearing the belt._

_"Do you like it? I hope it's not too big" she said, sitting down comfortably next to Jade. She stroked the pokemon's head gently._

_"It fits perfect. Thank you so much!" she rushed over and gave Alicia a hug. It felt so nice to smile after going through Hell all week. For some reason, the kids at school had decided to torment Delilah even more this week than usual and that definitely upped her stress level._

_"So what happened in school sweetie?" Alicia asked sweetly but worriedly. Delilah was so much more than thankful to have a mother like her. She seemed to be the only person who cared at all._

_"Some girl dropped a tray on me at lunch and I don't think it was on purpose. Everyone at the table was laughing at me. But I was confused, 'cause they let me sit with them. Rebecca's my friend and she was there too."_

_"Is this that same Rebecca girl who was with you in the woods at school last week?" asked Alicia._

_"Yeah, but I know she didn't mean all that to happen" responded Delilah. "She said she was gonna run to get the teacher after I tripped and fell in the pricker bush."_

_"Well if something happens again I'm going to have to talk to the principal about this. Right now I have to get dinner ready, so I'll talk to you some other time. Would you like to help out?"_

_Delilah nodded, glad to be of some help after a rough day at school. She picked up her backpack and took off her belt, putting them under her bed. She knew Jack would have a fit if he saw them. Then she and Jade followed Alicia downstairs to the kitchen._

_Setting up dinner was almost a sort of ritual in Delilah's house. The plates were set out first while dinner was almost done cooking. Alicia's plate was set down first, then Jack's, then Delilah's in a clockwise order around the kitchen table. Then Delilah set a bowl down on the floor for Jade. The silverware was set in the same manner and once everything was all set, Delilah went to the stove to finish up the cooking and turn off all the burners. Everyone was served food in the same order as the plates were set out and once everyone had their share, they all sat down to eat._

_As usual, Jack shook his head sadly when he saw how much food was put on Delilah's plate, but this was always ignored until something was said. Sure enough, after Delilah had almost finished her food, Jack spoke up and broke the long silence. "Why do you have to eat so much?" He didn't hold back, didn't sugar-coat it at all; he said it bluntly and in that kind of tone fathers use when they lecture you after doing something wrong._

_"She's not eating a lot Jack, what are you talking about?" asked Alicia in a tone that clearly said "We've been over this a million times."_

_"I just think she needs to cut back on the food. Look at her."_

_"There's nothing wrong with her! This is her house too; she has a right to eat the way she wants! She's at a perfectly healthy weight. Delilah, don't listen to him."_

_However, Delilah had always taken her father's castigations to heart. How else would she be able to make him proud of her? She looked down at her food quietly as her throat began to feel too tight to eat anymore. She excused herself from the table, trying not to bawl her eyes out right then and there, and left without saying another word. She rushed upstairs to the bathroom adjacent to her room at the end of the little hall and shut the door behind her. If Jack didn't want her to be a fat-ass then she certainly didn't want that either. The entire contents of her stomach were released into the toilet and flushed away quickly._

_She cried and cried that entire night in her bed, feeling confused and alone. How could she ever make Jack happy? How come every little thing she did was disapproved by him? She felt scared, knowing that he may have been right about her weight. She looked under the covers at her body, dressed in nothing but a bra and panties, and frowned at what she saw. No matter how many times she threw up her dinner, she still somehow gained weight. She suddenly hated herself, her life. She hated everything she did because she could never do anything right._

Finally, at about 2am, she fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.

Delilah woke with a sharp pain in her back. She felt something cold and hard up against her body. Was she still in her bed? No, her bed was never this uncomfortable. Confused, she sat upright and looked around her. She was still in her cell, which was gradually getting darker as the sun started disappearing. Looking over her shoulder, she saw that Sage was still in his cell too. He sat in one corner and started off into space, as though he were looking through the wall in front of him. The sound of deep breathing beside Delilah told her that Rose had fallen asleep. Her hand was still sticking out through the metal bars of her cell and was resting on the floor. Delilah gently put her hand over it.

She looked up at the small window at the blue skies and the setting sun. It was only moments ago that she was out there in the warm midsummer air, feeling alive and free. Now she was trapped here with Team Rocket and had no clue how they would get out of this mess. Delilah promptly blamed herself, thinking that she could have gotten here faster or even could have stayed with Rose in the first place. She could have continued accompanying her on her journey rather than allowing themselves to split up like that. Rose had been left alone to fend for herself and had almost died.

Strangely, blaming herself made Delilah feel better about things. All her life she strived to become a better person and when she had something she could take the blame for, it made her want to try even harder. Besides, it was always habit to blame herself when there was no one else to blame. That's the way she had always been at her house and that habit ended up following her to school and on her journey around Kanto and Johto.

_Just like how I blamed myself for what happened at my old house in Goldenrod… _she thought grimly to herself. Not wanting to remember that event, she quickly cast it from her thoughts and continued staring out the window. The sky was slowly turning pink and orange and the light breeze that was coming through the window was cooler now. Somehow, this gave her a strange sense of security and tranquility. She felt safe in here away from everyone and everything.

_I guess this is better than being stuck home with Dad.  
_

_I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell  
I know right now you can't tell  
But stay a while and maybe then you'll see  
A different side of me  
I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired  
I know right now you don't care  
But soon enough you're gonna think of me  
And how I used to be…_


	19. How Far We've Come

Chapter 19: How Far We've Come

Rose's eyes snapped open, but immediately squinted against even the little bit of sunlight filtering in through the small window. It was a reddish-orange light, meaning it was nearly sundown. Did she sleep all the way into the next evening, or was it sundown on the same day she had been thrown in here? It was even darker than before in the cell and Rose began to grow paranoid. She hated the dark, especially being _alone_ in the dark.

"Delilah…?" she whispered into the wall next to her.

"Yeah, still here" came the short reply. There was a slight exasperation in her voice. Rose noticed their hands still lightly touched one another. She thought about grabbing her hand and squeezing it, just to have some sense of security, but something stopped her. Nerves maybe?

Across the hall, Sage's shadowy figure could be seen huddled in the corner of the cell, probably sleeping. He didn't seem to care about anything that went on around him. Rose began to wonder why Sage had even bothered helping her out in the first place. He attacked her and ran away from her. Why was he being so nice all of a sudden? Maybe he finally came to his senses and realized that Rose was his best friend and not an enemy.

"You're awfully quiet" Delilah said. Why did her voice sound so dull? Even though they had only been sitting here since morning (or was it since yesterday?), she sounded like she was already giving up.

"Just thinking. And I'm kinda scared…" said Rose, blushing now that she realized she had said that. She hated to let people know what she was feeling.

"Scared of what? We can fight our way out of this, we just need time to figure out what we're gonna do."

"No, I mean, I'm scared of the dark." She could feel the hot blood rushing to her face and was more than thankful that Delilah couldn't see it.

Delilah's hand found Rose's once again and held on tightly. This made Rose think of those sappy romance novels where they say certain things make you feel butterflies in your stomach. Well, they certainly weren't wrong about the butterflies. Her heart seemed to be skipping beats as Delilah ran her thumb over the soft skin of her hand. There was no doubt in Rose's mind that Delilah really did care about her; she was probably just as scared as she was to admit it.

_No Rose, don't start thinking that,_ she mentally told herself. _Don't assume things just because Delilah's holding your hand. She's probably just comforting you, as a friend. You don't even know if she's gay, do you?_ She looked down at their hands and gave Delilah's a little squeeze. _But what about that night when we watched the sunset together? _She sighed and leaned against the cold metal bars behind her, wishing she could see Delilah's face. She hardly got even a glimpse of her when she had showed up to save her from Team Rocket only moments ago, or so it seemed.

"Thinking again?" asked the voice from the other cell.

"Yeah" said Rose with a sigh.

"About what?"

"Just someone…" _No use in embarrassing yourself by trying to explain_.

"Ooh, you like this someone?" Delilah asked in a mocking voice. Rose could picture her sly countenance, that damn sarcastic smirk that seemed to be permanently painted on her face.

"I guess you could say that." For some reason, Delilah hadn't said anything further to Rose.

A long stretch of silence followed, which always seemed to happen after they talked for a bit. Rose felt drained, as if she hadn't slept in a week. The air was stuffy and made her feel even more uncomfortable. She wondered if she would ever get out of here. Maybe this was her final resting place. Maybe they would never get out and just slowly rot until they were no more. She couldn't let that happen. There had to be a way out.

"How long have we been in here?" asked Rose, breaking the silence for once.

"Uhh, I would say… four or five hours, maybe" responded Delilah. "Why?"

"Oh. I was just asking, 'cause I couldn't really tell."

Across from her cell, Rose could see Sage stirring in his sleep. He sat up and looked around curiously. He didn't seem worried or scared at all. His red fiery eyes scanned his surroundings almost casually, as if this sort of thing happened to him everyday. Then he laid back down against the cold stone wall. Rose wondered how in the world he could sleep like that, seeing as her neck was sore from when she had fallen asleep herself. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the door at the end of the hall open up and when she looked, she saw one of the Rocket members walking in with what looked like a tranquilizer gun.

"Aww, isn't that so sweet?" he said in a bitter voice when he saw them holding hands.

"Fuck you" was Rose's only response.

"Hey now, no need to get testy with me, I'm just here to do my job."

Rose immediately perked up when she saw him open the door to Sage's cell and before the pokemon could react, the man shot a tranquilizer dart into his neck. He growled, but immediately went limp as the fast-acting drug hit him hard. He fell to the floor with a soft thud and the man attempted to lift his dead-weight over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"LET HIM GO!!" screamed Rose as she stood up quickly.

"We're just borrowing him, don't get hasty" said the man with an evil grin.

"What are you going to do with him??" Delilah asked as she, too, stood up.

"The boss needs some new pokemon" the Rocket member said as he made his way out of the cell. "This little guy's pretty strong, I'm sure we'll find him very useful. It'll be even better when we evolve him and turn him into our own personal tank."

Without another word, he walked out of the room and shut the door behind him. Rose could hear the faint musings of the other members in the next room. It made her angry – Sage was no more than ten or fifteen feet from her, unconscious and captured, and she could do nothing about it. The Boss's voice could be heard as well, but she couldn't figure out what was being said. By the tone of his voice, however, he was satisfied with what the man had done. Rose, in hysterical tears, kicked and shook the bars separating her from freedom. She had to get out. She had to save Sage. When she finally realized that nothing could be done, she fell to her knees and cried into her hands.

Delilah spoke up once Rose had calmed down a bit. "Rose… There's nothing we can do right now, but that doesn't mean everything's hopeless. We'll think of something."

Rose shook her head even though Delilah could not see it. "We… can't do anything…" she said between dry sobs. "They're gonna kill us Delilah… They're gonna kill Sage…"

"Don't say that. No one's going to die. Not if we can help it."

Hours and hours passed and by then, Rose had stopped crying. Delilah had been talking to her the whole time so neither of them would lose their heads. She noted that Rose definitely had it worse right now, seeing as Team Rocket had captured her best friend and were probably doing the worst things possible to him. But she tried not to think too much about it, knowing it would only make things worse. Rose had finally calmed down and was sitting miserably in the corner of her cell, staring at the stone floor underneath her and trying not to go crazy in the suffocating darkness. She realized after a while that she was quite hungry and wondered if anyone would ever come in to feed them. That would be a horrible way to die, she thought – to slowly decay and fall apart but still be alive to suffer the entire time.

The sounds in the next room had died down quite some time ago and the only thing that could be heard now were the sounds of nocturnal pokemon outside. It was a new moon, so there was hardly any light at all filtering in through the rusting bars of the window. Once in a while a winged pokemon would fly past the window, making Rose jump and hit her head on the metal bars against her back, which was the reason for her staring at the floor rather than the window. It was like some horror movie – being stuck in this dank, dark cellar and having to put up with scary shit popping out of virtually nowhere. It was a miracle Rose hadn't gone crazy yet.

* * *

  
Crimson eyes finally opened only to find a number of blurry, dark figures standing around. Sage tried to sit up to get a better look, but he was bound by a leather collar of sorts connected to an uncomfortably short chain. One chain link to be exact, which forced him to lie on his stomach on the cold stone floor. In a small rage, he struggled against the chain and clawed at the floor. Saliva flew from his mouth as he growled and snapped at the air around him. Pain shot up his back as someone in the room kicked him violently to end his struggle. Sage laid dead still, watching the legs of the people in the room move around him. If it weren't for the short chain, he would have been able to lift his head to identify them.

"Should we hook it up now?" Sage heard one of them say. Hook what up? Fear overtook his body and once again, he tried to break free from his bonds. Another kick forced him to lie still once more.

"Shorten the wires first, then maybe we can try it out" another man said. The sound of some kind of metal object being moved on a table could be heard to Sage's right, but it was out of his peripheral sight. Without the ability to turn his head, he could only lay there listening to the strange sounds.

"You're going to be mighty useful, you little shit" said a man closest to him. It was hard to tell how many men were actually in the room. Sage squinted against a bright spotlight that was put on him – almost like the kind of light doctors used during operations.

"I fixed it up. You want me to put it on him?"

"Yeah, just be careful. This guy's vicious."

The sound of footsteps from behind could be heard getting closer and closer until Sage felt many cold hands hold him still. He struggled, but was greatly outnumbered. Some sort of electronic harness was being put around his body and a few sharp pinches were felt as wires were hooked up to him like an I.V. When everything was set, the harness was turned on. It made a small whirring noise within its metallic fabric, which caused a chill to go up Sage's spine. He wanted to struggle, but something in his mind forced him to stay perfectly calm. It was as though he was being mind-controlled by the harness. He was released from his bonds and was able to move around, but for some reason he couldn't run or struggle or fight. What was going on? He saw the men around him, all dressed in Team rocket uniforms, gawking at him as if he was the most amazing thing they had even seen. There was one man holding some sort of remote control, which probably controlled the harness.

"How does it work?" asked a man to his left. It was Derrick, standing as he always did with his large arms crossed over his equally large chest.

"The harness has tubes hooked up to him that are releasing serotonin into his blood" said the man with the remote. "The serotonin makes him extremely calm so we can train him. The reason why the tubes are also made of metal is because if he ever finds a way to control himself and fight back, it will electrocute him with the push of a button. There are different levels of electric energy, so enough of it can temporarily paralyze him if he really gets out of control. I think this is Team Rocket's greatest achievement. Brilliant, really."

Derrick could only nod, thoroughly amazed by the technology. They had finally found a way to control the powerful pokemon they catch so they can utilize their power without the risk of getting injured. It was truly amazing how this vicious, temperamental pokemon could be tamed so well by this device.

"There's one problem with this though. A theory we came up with, which might end up being a major setback in our plans. While the serotonin calms him down, that also means that his anger will build up. If we overdo it and keep him in this harness for too long, he could learn to overpower the serotonin level in his brain and go into a permanent rage. This is also more likely to happen since his mind is very unstable from the forced early evolution. So we really have to be careful with this."

Another nod came from Derrick as he watched the pokemon sit on the floor quietly, staring off into space. He looked angry, but he also looked like he hadn't the power to assert that anger. A low, rumbling growl could be heard from the back of his throat. It was almost like paralysis, where you could scream and cry all you want, but you couldn't move with all the willpower in the world.

Heads immediately turned as the Boss walked in through the door wearing a smile of sheer success. "Excellent work men!" he said happily. "I've been waiting for this day. We've finally found our footing and gained the control we've been looking for all these years. This, men… This is our first step towards total domination. The most powerful pokemon could not possibly overpower Team Rocket!"

Everyone in the room cheered and applauded upon hearing this. Sage could only look at the Boss with the most loathing, malicious glare he could muster. That damned smirk was what pissed him off so much. Sage could think of quite a few ways to get his revenge after he was free. But for now, he was trapped in the harness and could do nothing about it. He figured Rose would come for him eventually. She had to. He saved her life just recently.

That night was filled with laughter and the clinking of beer bottles in the lounge where the battle had occurred earlier. One of the Rocket members attempted to play Rose's guitar drunk, only to be laughed at by his friends. Others sang along to lyrics that were thought of on-the-spot and others danced. Derrick was the most drunken one among them, slumping against one of his friends on the couch as his consciousness slowly slipped away. The Boss watched the scene from his large armchair at the back of the room like some kind of king, a glass of wine in his hand and his faithful pet Persian by his side. Sage had been brought back to his cell, but since Delilah and Rose had eventually fallen asleep, they would not realize he was there until they woke up.


	20. Don't Stop Believing

_(A/N) I'm back to writing short chapters for now. I'm sure it's fine though, seeing as I'm back to updating it so quickly. I think next chapter will be pretty long though. I'm already halfway through it, so you won't have to wait so long. Anyway, please read and review._

Chapter 20: Don't Stop Believing

_TAP TAP TAP._

What was that noise? Something was making noise just above Rose's head. Something in the window? She could hear it and knew it wasn't part of a dream, but sleep paralysis kept her from reacting to it.Everything seemed so hazy; she might as well have assumed she really was in a dream. But this wasn't a dream. She could feel the cool air around her body and the pain in her neck and back from sleeping on the cold, hard floor beneath her. It took her almost all her willpower to force herself to wake up and to become aware of everything around her. Not only could she hear the strange tapping on the window, but she could also hear something growling behind her… Sage? Finally, she looked around her to see what was going on. She saw Sage in his cell across from her, wearing the strange harness.

"… What did they do to you Sage…?" she asked groggily. Maybe it really was a dream. One of those dreams where you could almost feel everything that went on.

_TAP TAP TAP._

The sound grew more persistent and when Rose looked up, she could see a bird-like figure hovering in front of the window. It flapped hard to keep itself airborne and was trying to get her attention by tapping on the metal bars with its beak. It took Rose a moment to realize what it was.

"… Pidgeot?"

The bird trilled in response as it looked in at her, cocking its head to the side as if trying to figure out how to get her out. It flew over to the next window and tapped on it. Rose could hear Delilah's voice. "Pidgeot! I was wondering where you went!" she said happily. "You think you could get us out of here somehow?" Rose heard the bird trill again and the flapping of its wings getting more and more distant. This was certainly something to wake up to. "She'll find a way" said Delilah, sounding so much happier now that her companion was here to help.

"… 'She'?" asked Rose curiously.

"Well, yeah, Pidgeot's a girl. But never mind about that; look at Sage! What happened to him?"

"I don't know. They better not have hurt him." There was a hint of venom in Rose's voice as she said this.

"What's that thing he's wearing?" Delilah asked as she noticed the harness hooked up to him.

"How should I know?" asked Rose.

"That was sort of a rhetorical question kid" responded the older one. "Thinking out loud."

Rose didn't respond to the sarcasm, but continued to watch Sage and his strange behavior. He was growling viciously and yet he was perfectly calm. Was he paralyzed? No, he couldn't be. He could turn his head this way and that as he examined his surroundings. But his eyes looked glazed over as if on some sort of drug. Something was very wrong with him and Rose suddenly felt a burning hatred for the men who had done this to him.

"Do you really think Pidgeot will get us out?" asked Rose after a while.

"Don't worry, she always pulls through" Delilah responded confidently.

* * *

Outside the dilapidated building, a certain bird pokemon was making her way westbound as fast as her wings would carry her. Buildings and houses rushed by in a blur as she flew high over Saffron City, peering down for her destination. She saw a cop outside a building having a smoke. Maybe this was what she was looking for? She spiraled down gracefully and landed just as well on her feet in front of the cop, nearly scaring him out of his wits. He looked puzzled as he examined the bird's colorful plumage and determined look in her eye. She had to have belonged to a trainer – wild pokemon didn't just show up in a big city like this.

Pidgeot cocked her head and squawked at the cop, a sound of urgency in her voice. The cop just stared for a moment, and then asked "What's a pokemon like you doing around here?" Pidgeot began walking in the direction of where Team Rocket was hiding, the turned to the man and squawked again. "Follow you?" he asked shortly. Pidgeot nodded and took off into the air once more and circled him from overhead. She could hear him speak quickly into his walky-talky. "I'm going to need some backup here. Meet me outside." He put his cigarette out and waitied.

After a minute or two, three more cops showed up from the building behind the first cop. Pidgeot took off quickly toward the hideout, being sure to slow down and let the men catch up with her. They ran on foot, following the large bird all the way back to the building. They kicked the door down and promptly aimed their guns into the darkness. One cop had a flashlight and searched the long corridor carefully. When everything seemed safe, they made their way to the cellar door and kicked that in as well. It took a few good kicks before it actually gave way. The cops coughed as a cloud of dust rose up around them. Pidgeot led the way down the dark stairs to the next door.

* * *

"Did you hear that?" asked Derrick, lifting his head up quickly from his work. Ever since his outburst the previous day, the Boss had assigned him as Team Rocket secretary – a demotion from his previous position.

"Hear what?" said a tired member from the other side of the room. He was absent-mindedly strumming the strings of Rose's guitar, staring off into space with his head rested on his hand.

_BANG._

Derrick jumped up. "THAT sound" he said as he rushed to the cellar door with a pokeball in hand. The other man got up from the couch and rushed to get the Boss and some backup. Upon coming back with three other men, he found Derrick standing near the cellar door with an angry looking Pidgeot and four equally angry cops behind her with guns drawn.

"DON'T MOVE!!" shouted one of them.

One of the Rocket members, out of the cops' line of sight, ran to where Rose and Delilah were being kept. He threw open the door and quickly unlocked Rose's door. "We're borrowing you" said the man hastily as Rose was pulled to her feet and forced outside.

"No, don't take her!" yelled Delilah from her cell.

She was ignored as the man ran back into the lounge room, dragging Rose with him like a ragdoll. He took out a switchblade from his belt, released the blade, and held it firmly against Rose's neck. She stood dead still, looking at the man cautiously and confusedly.

"Put the guns down or I kill the bitch!" the man yelled, pressing the knife a little closer to her neck. She gasped when she felt the blade make a tiny cut in the sensitive skin. The cops all quickly put their guns on their holsters.

"We can talk this out..." said one cop.

"We don't need to talk about shit. Get out, right now, or I kill her."

As if on cue, the Boss walked into the room from his office. He wore an almost casual look, as if nothing was going on at all. "What seems to be the problem here?" he asked with the shadow of a smirk playing on his lips. He turned his head and noticed the cops standing at the door, then looked at Rose being held hostage. "My my, we do seem to have quite a problem here." He strode across the room to where the group of cops and Pidgeot stood near the door. "I think we can make a deal here."

The first cop who had spoken said "What kind of deal? These prisoners better come out here alive."

"Oh, don't worry" said the Boss assuredly. "We'll release them as long as you keep your end of the bargain."

"Which is…?"

"Let us keep the Croconaw we've been experimenting on."

"You'd better kill me first then!" Rose shouted suddenly. The man holding her pressed the knife even further into her skin, causing a small stream of blood to run down her neck. She whimpered quietly as she forced herself not to cry.

The cops looked at each other and mumbled, trying to formulate a plan. They were all huddled together as if they were football players making up a game plan. After a moment, they seemed to have something up their sleeves. One of the cops, a dark-haired man with a bushy mustache, walked to one of the couches casually and sat down. "Alright, let's talk it out here" he said. The Boss eyed him suspiciously, then cautiously went to his armchair and sat down.

"Do not waste my time, get straight to the point" he said as he crossed his legs and made himself comfortable.

The man holding Rose watched the Boss curiously, and it was only when the grip on the knife loosened ever-so-slightly that Rose discovered what the cops' plan was. She hoped to God it would work. The cop leaned forward and folded his hands, acting as though he and the Boss were the only two people in the room. He knew that if he looked anywhere but at the Boss, the plan would be given away. He was being read like a book.

"What if we told you that we have a much more powerful and aggressive pokemon to give you in exchange for the Croconaw?" said the cop.

The other man rubbed his chin in that clichéd fashion as he considered the offer. "Is it anywhere near as vicious as the one we have?" he asked.

"Maybe more so. You'd have to be the judge."

"Well you have to give me details here. I cannot just take up your offer without knowing the facts. What kind of pokemon is it?"

His answer was only delayed a second, as he had not thought of this, but he quickly picked himself up and responded "A Gyarados."

The Boss seemed to be thinking it over. The room was filled with a suspenseful and uncomfortable silence. The Rocket members and the cops all looked from the Boss to the cop sitting on the couch as if they were watching an intense tennis match. Nothing was said for nearly a minute, until…

_BANG!_The gunshot nearly threw everyone off their feet as it cut through the silence like thunder. "ARRGH!!" screamed the man holding Rose. One of the cops near the door had shot him once his guard was down. He promptly let Rose go, dropped the knife, and stooped down to hold his bleeding leg. Everyone tried to look away when they saw it – his entire kneecap had been blown off from the angle the bullet had went in and this seemingly macho Rocket member looked like he was on the verge of tears. Everything from then on seemed to happen on fast forward. All the cops but one had a gun pointed at each Rocket member and the one who had been talking to the Boss quickly got up and ran to Rose's side before anything else could happen to her. One of the rookie cops, a young blond, had a gun pointed at Derrick.

"I know you have the cell key, give it to me" he said in the least intimidating voice possible. He didn't seem to know what he was doing and his hands shook a little as he held his gun up to the older man. Derrick scowled and threw the key at his feet angrily. The blond picked up the key quickly and threw it to the cop who had Rose close by his side. He caught the key and immediately went into the room where Delilah was being kept. As soon as her cell door was opened, Rose threw herself into her arms and didn't let go.

"Woah, hey kid, everything's gonna be alright now" she said comfortingly as she tried to push Rose away gently to avoid having one of those awkward sappy moments in front of everyone. Rose cringed when she heard the word "kid" – she hated that. But she quickly got a hold of herself and stood close behind the cop, who was unlocking Sage's cell door.

"Be careful" he said as he opened the door.

"Sage! What happened to you??" Rose cried as she rushed in to hug her pokemon. He growled a bit in pain as the needles in his skin were touched. Other than that, he showed no reaction to the unwanted contact. "We gotta get him out of this!" Rose said as she turned to Delilah.

"We shouldn't worry about that right now. We need to get out of _here_ first" responded Delilah as she quickly followed the others out of the room.

Almost all of the Rocket members were handcuffed and ready to be taken out, including the Boss. He had a hateful scowl on his face as he stood near the man who had been holding Rose hostage. His knee was being quickly bandaged up by the rookie cop. "It's YOUR fault we ended up like this you stupid fuck!" the Boss said as he attempted to aim a kick at him. One of the cops pulled them away from each other and led them behind the others to be incarcerated. Rose grabbed her beloved guitar from the couch as another cop led her, Delilah, and Sage gently out of the building and Pidgeot followed close behind.

"If you don't mind," said the blond cop to Rose, "we're going to take you in for questioning. You're not in trouble; we just need to get the details on what happened. We also might have to take that little guy from you." He pointed to Sage, who waddled uncaringly behind Rose.

"What? Take him?? No, you can't do that!" said Rose defiantly.

"We have to make sure he's okay" the young man said. "His mental health is questionable, so we need to send him to a pokemon therapist for about a month to make sure he's safe enough to be given back to you."

"And what if he isn't?" asked Rose.

"That's an issue that might have to be taken to court. I know I'm probably making this sound so much worse than it really is. It will be fine, he just needs adjustment."

"Adjustment, my ass…" Rose muttered in an immature fashion as she hugged her guitar close to her. Delilah rolled her eyes, being the only one who had heard.

"Don't worry too much about Sage. I'm sure he'll be fine" Delilah said as they all walked out of the building and into the summer sun. People and their pokemon stopped to watch them on their way to the police station. "I told you we'd get through kid."

"Stop calling me that" Rose said, sticking her tongue out in an immature fashion. Delilah stuck out hers right back at her and they didn't say another word for the rest of the walk.


	21. That's Why They Call it the Blues

Chapter 21: I Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues

It had been almost two weeks since Rose last saw Sage and the days seemed to be getting longer and harder to bear. Sage was taken to the therapist after it had been decided that he was too mentally unstable to be in the care of a trainer and Rose hadn't been the same person since. Getting up out of bed every morning was hard for her and if it weren't for the fact that she was a guest staying at the house, she would stay in bed all day without talking to anyone. Delilah was the only one who seemed to get her through the day. She took Rose out shopping almost every other day just to get her out of the house. She could have cared less for going out places. Though Celadon City had a lot to offer, it was also _too _big for her liking. A younger Rose would have been amazing with everything in it, but without Sage by her side, it was hard to enjoy anything at all. She would have much rather sat out on Delilah's back porch by herself and played guitar all night long, but Delilah didn't seem to get that and continued hounding her about getting out and going places.

Jack was a little more bearable with a new addition to the house. He behaved a little better when Rose was around and stopped breathing down Delilah's neck so much. When Rose was out of earshot, however, he made the same ridiculing comments as usual – everything from her weight to the clothes she wore and at one point the way she sat at the dinner table. She always ignored the remarks, not wanting Rose to know what was going on between them and what she had to go through day to day with him. He even said things about Rose when she wasn't around, questioning as to why she was so damn scrawny and why she always wore long sleeves when it was summer. Delilah ignored this as well and said nothing to him. Alicia made up for it, however, by spoiling Rose everyday – cooking her meals whenever she got the chance and offering her money for shopping without Jack's knowing. Rose had always tried to tell Alicia that she was all set money-wise, but she continued to be her overly generous self anyway.

Delilah, with every chance she got, tried to make Rose feel better by helping her catch a new pokemon to keep her company for a while, seeing as Delilah had _three_ pokemon with her and it just wasn't fair. Rose never accepted the offer, however. She saw it as one of those things when you were young and your puppy ran away, your mom would turn and say "Well, we'll just have to get you a new puppy." It just didn't work that way. She didn't want a new Sage; she wanted _her_ Sage.

The nights were spent staying up and staring out the window at the many stars dotting the dark sky, worrying over what Sage was doing and hoping he was okay. Since there were no guest rooms in the house, Rose had to sleep in Delilah's bed, which was more than big enough to fit two people. This was a very good thing, seeing as Rose didn't want to deal with the awkward closeness. But it seemed as though they were distant again, as if they had just met. Delilah never treated Rose as more than an acquaintance like she had in the past. It was as though she was reconsidering everything and _trying _to keep her distance. Why would she do that?

This one particular night, however, Rose decided to test the waters a bit to see what was up. "Have you ever been in love?" asked Rose casually after the usual stretch of silence between them. She knew that question was way "out there", but she had to think of something so she could slowly ease into the topic she'd been wanting to talk about. She stared at the blank white ceiling above her head. The entire house was painted white. She was sick of white.

"What kind of question is that?" asked Delilah as she propped her head up with one hand. It was easy for Rose to look her straight in the face for once, seeing as it was quite dark in the room.

"I just wanted to know" responded Rose. "We don't have a lot of deep conversations anymore. I kinda missed it."

"Well I can tell you right now, I never loved anyone but my mom."

"Not even any guys?" Rose asked, turning to Delilah.

"Guys??" Delilah said with a laugh. "Guys are a joke. I've been with one guy and I didn't like it. I've been gay ever since."

"Woah, really??" She immediately sat up, shocked at Delilah's openness about the subject.

"Well, yeah. Why are you so surprised? Are you some kind of homophobe?"

"No of course not! I… Well, um… I'm gay too." She trailed off, not at all used to talking about her sexuality with anyone but Sage. Most people would think it was strange that she talked to her pokemon about that sort of thing, but Sage was understanding and didn't judge. He took everything she said in stride and did the best to support her no matter what.

"So what about you?" asked Delilah with a raised eyebrow.

"What about me what?" Rose asked, forgetting what they had originally been talking about.

"Have you ever been in love?"

The question took some thought. Rose didn't want to word it wrong and she certainly didn't want to just jump into it. Finally, she responded: "I think I have. I'm not sure. There's this girl I like, but I don't know if it's love or not…" Was that too suspicious? Delilah nodded and looked like she was also thinking deeply, which made Rose wish she could read minds. Delilah was such a mysterious, unreadable person who didn't seem to like sharing any of her life with others.

"Does she know?" Delilah asked after a couple minutes.

"I doubt it…" said Rose. "But it's so confusing sometimes. Some days, she's so nice to me and it seems like she feels the same way. But other days she has this… attitude that annoys me. I just can't understand her." Delilah was silent for a moment, then turned away from Rose and laid down.

"Did I say something wrong…?"

"No, you didn't. I'm really tired all of a sudden. We can talk about it in the morning or something."

Confused, Rose laid back down and stared at the ceiling again. She looked over at Delilah, whose breathing was getting shallow as she fell asleep. Rose sighed and turned away from her, not knowing what else to say or do. Maybe Delilah knows how she feels and was offended by what she had said. Or maybe she just feels awkward about the topic, seeing as she'd never been in love before. Or was she really just too tired to talk about it anymore? Rose couldn't stand thinking about it anymore, so she tried to get comfortable and fall asleep. After staring at the wall for nearly an hour, reality was finally slipping away and a dream was working its way into her mind. The last thing she remembered before falling asleep was a warm, protective arm wrapped tightly around her body.

Morning came with its usual obnoxiously bright sunlight and the sounds of pokemon both wild and tame. Rose yawned loudly and stretched, still a bit tired. She stayed where she was, waiting for Delilah to wake up before getting out of bed. She hated being up and getting breakfast before her, seeing as it wasn't even her house. At the foot of the bed, Jade was curled up in a little ball. Her ears twitched as they picked up the sounds of a new day. Rose looked to her left at Delilah and noticed her arm draped over her body. What was this all about? Again, she felt confused, but decided to just shrug it off. She gave up thinking so much about it.

Finally, after laying there for about twenty minutes, Delilah woke up. She stretched and sat up, looking around her room as though she didn't know where she was. Then she looked behind her at Rose still laying there. "Morning" she said shortly as she stood up slowly and slipped on her favorite pair of slippers. Rose got up as well and accepted an extra pair of slippers from Delilah, then followed her downstairs to the kitchen.

"You know, I think we should go out to eat today" Delilah said as they made their way down the stairs.

"Sure. Fine by me" Rose said with a sigh, as usual. She didn't mind (and actually preferred) staying there at the house to hang out for the day. They almost never stayed inside and Rose was sick of all the moving around.

"Would you rather not?" Delilah asked, picking up the hint of exasperation.

Rose shrugged. "Doesn't matter either way."

Delilah shrugged too as she continued walking down the stairs to where Alicia was sitting at the table. Her husband had already left for work, to Delilah's relief. "We're going out to eat breakfast today" said Delilah as she gave her mother a hug.

"Just be careful out there, please" she nearly begged. Ever since the incident at Team Rocket H.Q., she had been taking extra care to make sure her daughter didn't get into anymore trouble. "Take Jade with you too" she also said. Delilah nodded and went upstairs to wake her pokemon up.

Rose was left with Alicia and felt awkward, not knowing what to say to her. She wasn't a very good conversation starter. To break the silence, Alicia said "It's a really nice day today." Rose only responded with a nod. "Are you going back to the department store? I hear there's a sale today."

"Maybe" Rose said with a shrug.

"Or you could always go to the Game Corner and play some games for a day" she continued. "I can give you the money for it."

"I have money ma'am" Rose said politely. She _said _it politely, but in reality she was getting sick of being offered so many things by Alicia. She had her own money; she didn't need it from other people. She still had the money she had gotten for helping capture the first batch of Team Rocket members, and an extra 2,000 or so was added for finding the Boss (whose name they found out to be Giovanni). That was more than enough to get her through probably the entire rest of the year, seeing as she had only spent about 100 this week alone. She didn't need many possessions to make her happy; she had her guitar and hopefully Sage soon. That was all she needed.

Delilah finally came back downstairs with Jade hopping down the stairs after her. She looked excited to be going out as if she hadn't been out in a week, which confused Rose since they had all gone out almost every day this week. She mentally shrugged it off, grabbed her guitar from the couch where she had left it, and slipped a pair of shoes on. Delilah did the same and then led the way outside.

"You think you're gonna die or something if you don't bring that thing everywhere?" asked Delilah, pointing at the instrument.

Something clicked in Rose's mind that made her suddenly angry. "This THING is pretty much the only damn friend I have left!" she snapped back. Surprised, Delilah didn't say a single word to her even as they went to the small café and then browsed the department store later on. Rose felt more than sorry that she had burst out like that, but wasn't sure how to apologize or even if she'd accept the apology. She didn't even know why she snapped like that. Maybe she was just sick of Delilah's constant sarcasm. The rest of the afternoon was spent in angry and awkward silence until Rose finally decided to go off on her own. She sat down on the edge of the fountain outside the store and strummed lazily on her guitar as she watched the people walk past her. No one seemed to take any notice of her, which was perfectly fine by her. She needed the space.

Looking down the road to the east, Rose saw a little girl and her puppy pokemon happily making their way along the path to the store. When the girl got closer, a sense of familiarity struck her. The girl was holding a Rattata in her arms like it was some kind of doll, but then there was that black puppy trotting behind her. Where had she seen that before? Rose stood up to get a better look, setting her guitar down carefully against the stone monument. The girl saw Rose and skipped happily up to her and gave her a grin that had a tooth missing.

"I remember you!" she exclaimed. "You were the girl at Pewter City playing that guitar and I was in the crowd near the gym and I told you I was gonna try to beat the gym leader there!" Like before, she said the entire sentence in one breath and looked a little flushed from it.

Rose laughed when she finally remembered who the little girl was. "Oh wow, Danielle? I haven't seen you in forever."

"What happened to Sage, the little blue pokemon? Is he at home? Where do you live anyway?"

"Sage isn't here right now. Maybe you'll see him in a couple of weeks. A friend of mine is taking care of him." It was shocking, the kinds of things little kids will so easily believe. "My home is here for now. It's not actually my home. My… friend's home, I guess."

"Look at my new Houndour!" said Danielle, greatly changing the subject. She pointed to the puppy behind her, which only had… _three _legs? "I adopted her! Well, my mommy adopted her, but she's mine and I got to name her. Her name is Melyssa. Not Melissa, like, with an 'i' because everyone spells it like that. It's Melyssa with a 'y'. Isn't that cool??" She seemed a little too excited as she bounced up and down on her heels. Little kids must come with built-in springs or something.

Where had Rose seen that pokemon before though? She knew she had seen a Houndour somewhere on her journey… How else could she tell that it was a Houndour? She had to suppress a gasp when she suddenly remembered the first day of her journey, when she came across the injured Houndour on the road to Pewter City. She had to stay at the Pokemon Center and the nurse said she might have to have her leg amputated. This must have been that same Houndour. Besides, how many other female Houndour out there had three legs? Rose jumped when Delilah had suddenly popped up behind her to add to the conversation.

"Hey there kiddo, long time no see" she said to Danielle. "I see our Houndour's found a home."

"_Your_ Houndour?" asked Danielle in amazement. "Were you the one who brought her to the adoption place?"

"Yep" responded Delilah. She was in an unusually bouncy mood all of a sudden, which sort of scared Rose. Did she have bi-polar or something? "We found her hurt in the road so we rescued her" she continued. Jade was sitting on the edge of the fountain, peering curiously at her reflection and trying to smell the "other" Nidoran.

"Wow, that's so cool!" Danielle said as she bounced up and down again. "I wanna stay here and talk a lot, but my mommy sent me here to get her something at the store and I don't wanna keep her waiting. I'll be back though." And with that, she skipped away in the direction of the store and disappeared inside with Melyssa.

"So what was that all about?" asked Rose suspiciously.

"What was what?" Delilah responded with her arms crossed and a smirk on her lips.

"Why are you so happy all of a sudden? You should be mad at me."

"Why?" It was almost as though Delilah was toying with her. She still had that damned smirk on her face.

"I yelled at you and I shouldn't have" said Rose, not finding any of this as amusing as Delilah apparently did. "I'm sorry."

"Well, that's actually what I wanted to talk to you about. Yeah, I was a little angry at first, but then I started thinking about it a bit. Sit down." She gestured toward the fountain and they both sat on the stony edge on either side of the guitar. "I do consider myself your friend you know, as much as I don't show it." She said it quietly, as if she was too shy to say what she needed to say. "It's just… I do get an attitude, yes, but that's like… Ugh, I don't even know what I'm saying." For once, Delilah was the one blushing, but she looked around her to hide it as much as she could. Rose saw it, however, and got up to sit right next to her.

"I'm listening" Rose said, looking right into Delilah's emerald eyes.

"Well… I guess the reason I act so uptight is because it's sort of a defense mechanism for me. I was bullied a lot in school and a lot of my so-called friends fucked with me, so it's hard to trust people. It's just a habit that I'm trying to break. But I do see you as my first and only true friend and it kinda hurt to hear you say that this guitar is your only friend left." She looked at the instrument in question, then back at Rose.

"Well, you had me confused at first" Rose said awkwardly, not used to speaking her mind much. "When we first met, no offense, you acted like… like such a bitch." (Delilah had to laugh at how blunt she was being when she said this.) "But then all of a sudden you were really nice to me that… um… that day we watched the sunset together. Then you were back to being bitchy and I didn't know if you were just tugging me around or what. If you want to be friends, then say something and at least act like it. But if not, you might as well leave me alone instead of confusing me so much." After a while, it seemed so much easier to talk to Delilah. Maybe all Rose needed was to get everything off her chest first.

"I'll be your friend if you still want me to be."

Rose was silent for only a moment, then said "Sure" with a smile. Delilah smiled as well and gave her a hug, happy to have been able to fix things. They sat there in silence for a moment until Delilah finally spoke up.

"Aren't you going to play your guitar?" she asked.

"Well… I'm not all that good. And I can't just… play for people. If the inspiration comes, then I act on it… That didn't sound corny, did it?"

Delilah laughed. "Nope, not at all." There was a small smirk on her face as she said this though. Rose scoffed and looked away from her.

"I think we should get going kid" Delilah said suddenly. "We've been out all day and you're burnt to a crisp. Freakin' vampire."

Rose ignored the comment as usual and stood up, stretching a bit to crack her back and then grabbing her guitar. Delilah got up as well and led the way, as usual, back to her house. "So…" she began as they were walking. "Why _do _you wear long sleeves in the summer?"

Rose looked at her confusedly and then said "Well… I get cold easily, that's all…"

"Or do you have something to hide…?" asked Delilah with a suspicious look.

"What the hell would I be hiding, drugs?"

"Well, let's see…" She made a grab for her arm, which was promptly dodged.

"What the hell Delilah??" Rose yelled as she backed away, but she was smiling. Jade looked confusedly from Rose to Delilah, trying to figure out what was going on.

"Jeez, I'm just kidding" said Delilah. Just then, a playful smirk appeared on her face as she ran after Rose.

"Shit!" she said as she was chased all the way back to Delilah's house. Jade bounded along as fast as she could to keep up with them. People stared as they ran up the street, weaving in and out of buildings as Rose tried to get away. They finally appeared at the back door of the house, flushed and laughing like a couple of little kids. This had to have been the hardest Rose had laughed in years as well as the happiest she had ever been.

"Mom, we're home!" Delilah said as she kicked off her shoes and left them near the door. Rose did the same and followed Delilah into the living room. Alicia was sitting comfortably on the couch reading a newspaper.

"How was it?" she asked. "You look awfully happy." She smiled at the fact that she got to see her daughter so happy for once.

"It was really fun" responded Delilah as she plopped down on the couch. Rose did the same, not wanting to be rude by making herself at home without Delilah doing so first.

"So what did you buy?" asked Delilah as she picked up a coffee mug from the little table near the couch and sipping from it. "Assuming you went to the department store again."

"Mostly clothes" Rose said.

"That's good" Alicia said with a smile. "You two should wash up. I bet you've been sweating like dogs out there." Rose and Delilah looked at one another and laughed. "But your father is probably going to take a shower when he gets home. You might have to share to save water."

Rose's eyes widened and she didn't think she heard correctly at first. Delilah, however, had taken it in stride as usual. "Alright, we can do that" she said, getting up from the couch. Is she being serious?? Rose got up slowly and followed Delilah upstairs.

"You should have seen your face" she said to Rose as they went into the bedroom to grab some clothes.

"You're seriously going to do it??" asked Rose. It wasn't that she was awkward about showering with her. She was more concerned with the fact that Delilah just didn't care.

"We're both girls, I'm sure its fine" Delilah responded as she threw Rose a spare shirt and pair of pants. "Unless you have something I don't have."

"I'm pretty sure I don't" said Rose.

"Besides, we're a pair of dirty lesbos. We need some cleaning up." Rose, confused with Delilah's behavior once again, followed her to the bathroom and shut the door behind her.

"Um… Does your mom know about you? You know…" Rose said, trailing off a bit.

"Yeah, she's fine with it. She's very open. I think this is her way of saying I need to go out and find someone. I'm almost 23."

Rose laughed nervously then immediately went silent as Delilah started stripping with almost no hesitation. That was the funny thing about lesbians, they were so open with each other and even if they were strictly just friends, they could do pretty much anything in front of each other without feeling weird about it afterwards_. What happens in the shower stays in the shower._ Rose thought to herself with an amused smirk.

"What are you smiling at?" asked Delilah. "I don't look _that _bad, do I?"

On the contrary, she looked amazing. Sure, she was a little on the heavy side, but not at all fat. At least, not a disgusting kind of fat. It was hard to explain, but Rose liked it nonetheless. She wasn't entirely sure if the only reason she didn't mind it was because she had never even seen a naked woman before. Either way, she had to force herself not to stare. Her breasts were quite large and she did, in fact, have the hourglass figure somewhat. Suddenly, Rose decided against taking her clothes off.

"I don't think I can do this…" she said, putting her pants back on.

"Why not? You're not going to have another chance for a shower until later tonight." Delilah stood there casually as if she wasn't stark naked in front of one of her friends. That had to have been the most admirable thing about her – her openness about everything.

"I just don't want you to see…"

"See what?"

Rose shook her head. "Come on" said Delilah. "You can't keep things from me if you expect me to be your friend. And it's not like I'm going to hate you for anything. I don't judge. See? I'm just standing here like nobody's business 'cause I don't care."

"Fine" Rose said with a sigh. She took all her clothes off hastily, leaving herself no time to reconsider. Her nipples immediately hardened as the cool air hit them and the sensation drove her crazy. The most bothersome thing, however, was the breezy feeling in places she should be feeling a breeze.

"I don't even see anything wrong with you, jeez" said Delilah as she went to the shower and turned it on. She turned back to Rose, who had her arms wrapped around her body as if concealing something bad. Delilah sighed and walked up to her, then peeled her arms away from her stomach despite Rose's small struggle to pull away. Delilah turned Rose's arms over and looked, seeing numerous scars all over the pale skin. "I kinda figured that's what you were hiding" she said quietly. "I won't tell."

From that moment on it was silent. Rose was disgusted with herself for ever getting into the habit and hated herself even more for letting someone else find out about it. She didn't need the pity or the lectures about how suicide isn't the way to go. Just because she cut herself doesn't mean that automatically categorized her as suicidal or even mentally unstable. Things got stressful, so she needed a way to vent. Sure, Sage had always been around to talk to, but he would never understand something like this. It wasn't exactly something you share with other people anyway.

"You okay kid?" Delilah asked as she rinsed shampoo out of her hair. Rose was standing behind her waiting for her turn to rinse off.

"Oh, yeah…" responded Rose shortly.

"Doesn't sound it" said Delilah, turning to face Rose.

"You're the only person who ever found out about this" said Rose sadly.

"And?"

"Well, I feel ashamed for one thing." Rose noticed she was still covering herself with her arms.

"A lot of people do it" Delilah said as she leaned comfortably against the tiled wall of the shower.

"Do you?"

"I did it once, only because I heard about other people doing it and was curious. I wasn't into the whole 'self-mutilation' thing though. I used to drink when things got bad, but I was sick of throwing up so much and then feeling like shit in the morning."

"So how do you vent when you get upset?"

"Punch things, basically" Delilah said with a shrug. "I ended up breaking the window in my room and had to get it replaced. I also broke my hand on a dresser here and at school one time I got in trouble for denting a locker 'cause I kicked the shit out of it too."

"Wow…" said Rose. She could never picture Delilah going into a rage like that. She seemed far too laidback for that.

"I think you need to rinse off" Delilah said.

"Yeah, probably" responded Rose as she tried to walk past Delilah to get under the spray of water. It was a tight squeeze and they ended up brushing up against each other, which caused Rose to gasp and bite her lip. A chill went down her spine and into certain places as she tried to turn around and hide her blushing face. She could have sworn she heard a quiet chuckle coming from behind her, but she was too caught up in her own filthy thoughts to take much notice. Finally, the two of them stepped out and got dressed. Nothing was mentioned about the shower for the rest of the night.

"Was there a specific reason you did that to yourself?" Delilah asked once they were settled into bed later on that night.

"Well, yeah, having to live with my mom" responded Rose as she snuggled comfortably under the covers. She loved the smell of Delilah's laundry, which would probably sound strange if she said anything.

"What happened with your mom? If you don't mind me asking."

"She was a drunk and beat me a lot once my dad left us" Rose said with a sort of shrug. She wasn't afraid to talk about it since she had to live with it for almost her whole life.

"That… Wow… I don't even know what to say. I'd say that sucks, but I doubt that's anywhere near summing it all up." Rose went silent and stared at the ceiling; something she did when she was thinking a lot. "Sorry I asked about it…" said Delilah.

"What?" asked Rose. "Oh. It's not a problem. It doesn't bother me at all."

"Then what are you thinking about?" asked Delilah as she sat up a bit.

"I'm thinking about Sage… Do you think he'll ever be the same again? I miss the old Sage."

"If you give him some time he might be fine."

"What if he isn't? What if he never changes and just continues to get vicious? I don't know what I'd do without him…" Rose trailed off and sounded like she was about to cry. Without knowing what else to say, it was Delilah's turn to stare at the ceiling. The shadow of a tree near the window cast strange shapes on it and Delilah liked to try and make out animal shapes from it. She had always done this as her own personal thinking exercise.

"I'm cold…" Rose said after a while. This was actually a lie, but she felt like she needed someone to hold her and was too shy to directly ask Delilah to do so.

Delilah turned and as hoped, wrapped a comforting arm around Rose and pulled her close. Rose snuggled into her chest, trying to hide her tear-streaked face. She could feel Delilah's hand moving up and down her back in an attempt to make her feel better. Delilah knew there was nothing that could help her unless she got to see Sage again, but she tried nevertheless. They soon fell asleep like that, wrapped up safely in each other's arms. Rose ended up having the strangest dream that Delilah had stolen a feather-soft kiss from her while she slept.

The next morning, however, the worst of news came to them over the phone at about 8am. Rose was woken up by Alicia, who told her that she had a call and to come downstairs. Groggily, Rose got up and went to the phone. On the other end was the voice of the therapist who had been given the task of caring for Sage for a month.

"Is this Rose?" asked the man with urgency in his voice.

"Yeah, why?" asked Rose as she tried to keep herself from yawning rudely over the phone.

"Sage has escaped."


	22. The Path

_(A/N) Note: this is actually the first time I've used a song by my absolute FAVORITE band after all this time. I just couldn't find a song by them that would fit until now. This was originally going to be a two-part chapter, but I think it's better off being one long chapter instead. Rose gets a little more bold in this one, I think._

Chapter 22: The Path

"What?!" Rose nearly screamed into the phone. _PLEASE be kidding. You had better be kidding. This had better be some big fucking joke._"

I'm really sorry to inform you ma'am, but Sage managed to dig out of his pen and we're not sure where he is at the moment. I assume he's gone to look for you, but we're not entirely sure."

Rose had to force herself to calm down before she began screaming this man's ear off."… If Sage is gone… and no one knows where he is… then why the _hell _are you calling _me_ to tell me this, when you could be off your ass and out there searching for him?"

"We just wanted to inform you so you know what's going on."

"Oh really?" she said. She didn't think she could ever remember a time when she'd felt as bold as this. "Well thank you for telling me. It's great to know. In fact, great to wake up to this early. Have a nice day." She promptly hung the phone up without saying another word and took a deep breath to keep herself from breaking something. That was definitely one of the differences between Rose and Delilah – Rose could control her anger so much better than the latter. Speaking of whom, Delilah starting coming down the stairs slowly, obviously having just woken up. Rose turned away from her, not wanting her to see her tear-filled eyes. She opened the fridge and looked inside to give herself an excuse not to show her face.

"You're up early" said Delilah after a huge yawn. She hated early mornings when she knew she didn't need to be up early for anything, but the ringing of the phone had woken her up and she could not get back to sleep once she was awake. Rose continued hiding her face behind the fridge door without responding. It may have been too early for thinking, but Delilah wasn't stupid. She walked to the fridge and pulled the door open to get a better look at Rose, whose face and eyes were reddened from crying.

"What happened?" Delilah asked.

"It's Sage… The pokemon therapist called and… He said Sage escaped and they don't know where he is…" She sobbed and tried to turn away from Delilah, who turned her back around and put her arms firmly around her.

"We'll find him, don't worry" said Delilah as she ran her fingers through Rose's long, reddish hair. "He always comes back."

The next few minutes were spent standing there in the middle of the kitchen while Delilah held Rose until she had calmed down. As much as she didn't want to let go, Rose had to pull away once her sobbing had died down. They couldn't stay that way forever and they needed, more than anything, to go out and find Sage. Rose immediately went upstairs to grab her shoes and backpack before Delilah could say anything to her, deciding against taking her guitar for once. It had already been through enough trauma anyway. Delilah had started making breakfast, not at all in a hurry to leave the house to go look for Sage. Angrily, Rose shut the fridge door on Delilah once she had come back downstairs.

"We can't waste time doing that. We have to go find him!"

"Rose…" began Delilah as she turned on the stove's burner to heat up a pan. "Sage has been out all night and could probably be miles from here. It'll take days to look for him. But he's usually okay fending for himself, so waiting just a couple of hours before we go out isn't going to kill him. Besides, there's also a chance he might be closer to here. He might show up like he did last time."

"The therapist lives all the way in Fuchsia City!" yelled Rose. "I don't even know where that is!"

"That's not far from here at all, we'll just take the Bike Path" responded Delilah as she broke a few eggs and plopped them into the pan. She didn't seem bothered by the fact that Rose's best friend was wandering the countryside somewhere.

"With what fucking bike??" Rose spat, growing more and more hysterical by the second.

"We can borrow one or something, I don't know. Or we could use pokemon to get around."

"Okay, so how the fuck do we do that?? Is Jade going to carry us??"

Delilah sighed and turned from the pan, which was sizzling quietly. "Calm down…"

"I can't stay calm if Sage is out there lost and probably hurt!" yelled Rose as she made a move to turn off the burner on the stove. Delilah pushed her hand out of the way and in the process of struggling over the stove, Rose's hand leaned against the side of the pan. She jumped back with a yelp and held her hand in pain.

"Rose… I'm sorry…" Delilah said. "Let me see it." She held out a gentle hand – a gesture that was completely ignored as Rose turned away from her and headed for the back door. Without a single look back, she went outside and quickly shut the door behind her.

* * *

Somewhere toward the south, in the coastal city of Fuchsia, a certain fat blue pokemon was weaving around the many people walking to and fro on the streets. Everything was so strange and foreign to him – the smells, the sounds, the sights – nothing was what he had ever experienced before. The Safari Zone could be seen where many tourists flocked daily to catch themselves a few rare pokemon. Some pokemon were on display in pens outside and people young and old watched them in awe. The gym, owned by the new leader named Janine, stood at the southwestern-most part of the city near the Pokemon Center. Sage knew there had to be an ocean here, as he could smell the salt on the breeze, so he figured that was how he would get back to Rose. He remembered crossing the ocean to get to Vermilion City and from there they somehow ended up at Celadon City. But in which direction was Vermilion? He assumed he could find on his own if he just looked around.

After nearly an hour of wandering around, he finally made it to the shore and was looking out on the vast blue ocean. Some small children were playing on the beach here and a few of them stopped and pointed at Sage, having never seen a pokemon like him before. He ignored it, as he had far more important issues to be concerned with at the moment. Without anymore hesitation, he jumped into the cold water and swam in whatever direction he was facing. He couldn't tell if it was north or east or what, but he assumed that after swimming for a while, he'd see his destination point on the horizon. It couldn't have been that difficult, could it?

Further and further the waves carried him and eventually, he found a way to swim with the tides to make himself move faster. After a couple hours had passed, everything was just a massive blue void all around him. He could see nothing on the horizon in any direction, but he kept going nonetheless. He knew something would eventually show up, he just didn't know when. Underneath him he could see countless fish pokemon swimming around, darting away as Sage's kicking feet passed over them. The sun nearly setting when a small dot of a town appeared in the distance. Excited, Sage swam as fast as he could without thinking of how far from him the town might be. After another few hours of relentless but exhausting swimming, he reached the shore at about half past 10.

This definitely wasn't Vermilion or Pallet or any place he had ever been before. There were very few houses, but also a huge building in the middle of town. It was almost like Pallet, but the streets and houses looked as though they had been moved around. It had to have been a different town. He wandered around on two legs, looking around at the few sights there were to see. He passed a sign that said "New Bark Town", but without the ability to read and it being too dark to do so anyway, he could only ignore it and keep moving. He growled at the pokemon passing by and gave a satisfied smirk as they gave him wide berth and kept moving, casting suspicious glances to make sure he wasn't going to pounce on them. Sage finally found the path out of town to the next, so he decided to keep moving. Maybe Vermilion would show up if he kept going on foot. This was what he thought, but he did not know that he was headed toward the opposite end of the entire continent, further from Celadon City and deeper into the Johto region. He kept walking around this strange new area in a more or less straight line well into the next morning, not even knowing where he was at all.

* * *

The houses around her looked blurry as she walked down the path, teary-eyed and just unable to stop herself from crying. Rose didn't even know why she was still crying; it had been nearly three hours since the fight between her and Delilah. Still, she just couldn't stop thinking about Sage and where he might be and how Delilah didn't seem to care. He could be halfway across the continent for all she knew. She wished she had brought her guitar, wished she could just stay out here all night and never go home. Maybe she would do just that – stay out here and find somewhere to sleep, maybe return to Delilah in the morning once things had calmed down. Why didn't Delilah care at all about Sage? He was probably hurt and lost. They needed to go out and try to find him _now._ If Jade had run away like this, Delilah would try and go after her in a heartbeat… Wouldn't she?

Another hour had passed and Rose began growing tired and hungry. She realized she hadn't eaten breakfast and had left her money at the house. _This fucking sucks, _she thought bitterly to herself as she ironically passed the small café. _Why the hell are you running away anyway? You're such a coward Rose… As always… _The criticizing comments to herself didn't help the situation much as she wandered around the city. Delilah hadn't come to get her yet, so Rose assumed she hated her now. She looked at her pink and blistered hand, which still hurt quite a bit. She thought about getting it wrapped up, but the Pokemon Center was now on the other side of the city.

She finally decided to sit down on a bench near the Magnet Train Station, half wishing she had a ticket to wherever it went. Maybe it went all the way to Johto; she wasn't too sure. Bored, she took out her pokedex. She hadn't used it in a while, nearly forgetting she even had it. She had always stuck it in her pocket when she went out but she never had the chance to use it. Why couldn't she just be some normal trainer and go get her badges for the Pokemon League like Delilah was doing? Maybe the difficulties with Sage was what held her back. He never listened even when she had tried training him at the Cinnabar Gym with Blaine. She chuckled quietly to herself as she vividly remembered the balding man with sunglasses and how he had taken her and Sage in to get away from the storm.

Rose turned the pokedex in her hand as she became lost in her usual deep thinking, admiring the metallic red cover of the device. She turned it on and looked around for some random pokemon to add to its archive, but no one seemed to be around. Finally, an old man and his catlike pokemon came out of the train station and Rose promptly pointed the pokedex in that direction and pushed a button. It responded with the usual electronic male voice:

_Espeon, the Sun pokemon. By reading currents in the air, this pokemon can predict things such as the weather or its foe's next move.  
_  
It beeped as the voice shut off, adding the information to the miniscule list already there. Looking around again, Rose did this to about five other pokemon before she grew bored once more. Her attention span couldn't handle sitting here and doing this for so long, so she got up and stretched. She hadn't noticed until now that the air was cooler and the sun was now further toward the west, meaning she had been out here for quite some time and sundown was approaching. Should she go back to Delilah's house and try to work things out? Or should she just keep running away? She shrugged and walked off slowly in a random direction, taking the longest way possible back home.

* * *

_Click. Click. Click. Click…_

"Delilah, how many times are you going to change the channel before you actually watch something?" Alicia asked from the kitchen's doorway. Jack was sitting at the dining room table with the usual annoyed look on his face, skimming through a newspaper in his hand but finding nothing of interest. He tossed the paper to the opposite end of the table and crossed his arms over his chest.

"When's dinner gonna be done??" he asked impatiently.

"When it's finished cooking" Alicia said testily.

"Women…" she heard him mutter as he waited. "Hey Dee, pick something to watch or turn the goddamn thing off."

Delilah ignored him and continued flipping through the stations, finally stopping at some cooking show she had absolutely no interest in. She felt like shit and needed something to keep her mind off of the incident that morning. _Why in the hell didn't I go after her?? _she kept asking herself over and over again. _She probably thinks I hate her now… _Fresh tears formed in her eyes for the millionth time that day and she continued staring hollowly at the television screen so no one could see her face. Dinner was finally finished, but Delilah declined it. She knew Jack would only make comments about her weight as usual and she was far from fed up with his attitude about everything she did. Her head turned to the sound of someone coming in the door and Rose walked in with a forced calmness, not wanting anyone to see that she was still quite upset.

"I'm sorry I left" she mumbled shortly to no one in particular as she made her way to the dining room table to eat. She sat next to Jack since he didn't seem to be much of a threat. He had always pretended she wasn't there anyway and she was perfectly fine with that. In fact, she wouldn't mind being invisible right now. Delilah looked at her incredulously, but Rose ignored her and waited patiently for her food. It was her turn to act cold for once.

"Where have you been? We were so worried" said Alicia from the doorway. She had a ladle in one hand and a half-prepared plate of food in the other.

"Just went for a walk…" Rose said with a shrug.

" Next time you should tell someone so we don't get worried. Anyway, dinner's all set now. How much do you want hun?"

"Just a little bit please. I had a big lunch." This was a lie, but she didn't really feel like eating at all. She just wanted to get dinner done and over with so she could crawl upstairs like the pathetic little creature she was and hide for the rest of the evening. Delilah stayed where she was and started flipping through channels again, which was eventually ignored by Jack despite his obvious annoyance. Dinner was meatloaf with mashed potatoes and gravy to go along with it. It all looked very good, but Rose couldn't seem to eat more than a few bites. She soon excused herself from the table and went upstairs quickly before anyone had the chance to question her. Delilah got up and followed her, finding her tucked into bed by the time she got upstairs.

"I'm sorry about this morning" Delilah said quietly as she shut the bedroom door behind her. She approached the bed slowly and sat on the edge of it, but Rose stayed facing away from her. "Come on, at least talk to me and stop acting like I'm invisible." She put a gentle hand on Rose's shoulder.

"Why didn't you at least come find me…?" Rose asked in a strangled voice. It sounded as though she were crying, but wouldn't turn around to let Delilah see that.

"I thought you were pissed at me and I wanted to let you have some space… Is your hand okay?"

Rose nodded, not wanting to talk anymore. She just wanted to sleep so she could get away from Delilah and everyone else and hopefully never have to wake up. She didn't even know where to start looking for Sage even if she and Delilah went out right this minute to search. He was probably gone for good. Maybe Team Rocket had snatched him up and was doing horrible things to him. She tried not to think about it too much, knowing it would only make her cry more. She felt the bed dip beside her as Delilah laid close to her and put her arm around her in an attempt to make her feel better. Nothing could make her feel better at this point and Delilah knew this, but still wanted to help in any way she could.

"We can go out and look for Sage tomorrow" Delilah whispered in her ear. "I really am sorry about earlier…" A chill went down Rose's spine as the warm breath hit her and she finally turned around to face the older woman. The glow from the setting sun coming in through the window cast beautiful colors on Delilah's round face and it made her look simply like an angel. Rose would have given anything to tell that to her, but the words seemed to be caught in her throat as she looked deep into those bright emerald eyes. Something in her mind was suddenly pushing her to do the unexpected. Did lack of food have the ability to make people insane? Either way, she didn't know what kind of force it was, but knew that it was powerful and instinctive. Rose slowly leaned up close to Delilah's face, wrapped her arms around her neck, and was about to close the space between their lips until Delilah suddenly cut in.

"Rose…" she said in a whisper as she gently held her friend back with a hand on her shoulder. "I can't…" The words were like a bucket of ice water being thrown over Rose's body. It shook her from her trance and she looked at Delilah as if she had just woken up and didn't know where she was.

"I… I'm sorry…" said Rose as she held back tears. She laid back down on the pillows and looked anywhere but at Delilah. She didn't know what had come over her, but was horribly disappointed with the results. She thought back on those stupid romance novels people write when they have nothing better to do and she finally decided that love was never like that at all. You couldn't just stare into someone's eyes for a long time and then decide "Hey, I love you, I want to kiss you". All her life she blindly thought that that was how things were supposed to be and had just wanted to see if it was really true, but she was left with only disappointment and even shame. But wait… Love? Rose doubted very much that it was love. Maybe it was a simple, lust-driven impulse that made her feel this way. How long had she known Delilah anyway? Certainly no longer than a few months. Is it possible to fall in love with someone after such a short amount of time? Rose was terribly confused and shattered by all these thoughts.

The awkward silence afterwards was unbearable, but Rose soon fell asleep facing the wall again. Delilah felt horrible that entire night, tossing and turning in a half-asleep state as she thought about what had happened. Why had she held back like that? What was keeping her from reciprocating her feelings for Rose? It may not have been love, but it could have been if Delilah hadn't been so stupid. Or was it better off like this? She was confused and ashamed and full of regret and hatred for herself all at the same time. Sleep barely but finally came at about 4 in the morning and relaxed her restless mind for the time being.

Morning came as usual and Rose was the first to wake up again. But this time, she got right up out of bed and went downstairs for breakfast. She decided to give up on Delilah for now, knowing it would only cause her more and more pain if she kept trying. Breakfast was already set for them at the table and Alicia had left a note – "I went grocery shopping, be back later. Love, Mom." Rose had to smile sadly at the words, realizing just how lucky Delilah was. She had a loving and generous mother that Rose had never had the chance to know. But then a small twinge of jealousy struck her and she cast it from her thoughts. She sat down and quickly finished off her breakfast without waking up Delilah to do the same. Then she crept quietly back upstairs, grabbed her guitar, and made her way out onto the back porch.

In a way, she missed the old wooden swing at her old house in Pallet. But the simple chair sitting out on the deck would have to do. Besides, there wasn't any kind of ceiling from which to hang such a swing. Nevertheless, the view was magnificent. Summer was coming to its end, but the air was still comfortable and the trees still looked as green as ever. It was that in-between stage where everything was just perfect – not too hot, not too cold. Rose admired the neatly trimmed lawn and the spaciousness of it all. If she had been much younger, she'd be out in that yard running around without a care in the world. But for right now, she did have many cares in the world and she'd much rather spend some time with her guitar. It seemed a bit strange, personifying her guitar all the time like that, but one would really have to understand the instrument to understand the feelings behind it all. A slow, sad song came to her head and she began playing to herself as usual. It made her feel lonely, but it was an independent kind of loneliness – that feeling that reminded her "I'm me and that's how it is. I don't need anyone else but me." It seemed self-centered, yes, but it made her feel much better about things. If she made herself think she didn't need anyone, it would make losing Sage a lesser burden on her heart.

_There is no turning back  
From this unending path of mine  
Serpentine and black  
It stands before my eyes  
To Hell and back  
It will lead me once more  
It's all I have as I stumble  
In and out of grace_

_I walk through the gardens  
Of dying light  
And cross all the rivers  
Deep and dark as the night  
Searching for a reason  
Why time would've passed us by_

_With every step I take  
The less I know myself  
And every vow I break  
On my way towards your heart  
Countless times I've prayed  
For forgiveness  
But gods just laugh at my face  
And this path remains  
Leading me into Solitude's arms_

_I see through the darkness  
My way back home  
The journey seems endless  
But I'll carry on  
The shadows will rise and they will fall  
And our night drowns in dawn…_

Rose decided to ignore the sound of the door opening behind her and kept playing as if she hadn't noticed, watching her own fingers strum the guitar with an empty stare. Delilah was standing there in her bathrobe, listening to the mournful tune without saying a word. She thought she could hear Rose whispering the lyrics to herself, but she wasn't sure. Finally, Delilah took the chair next to Rose and her eyes became fixed on her.

"We need to talk" Delilah said shortly.

"What happened, happened. Leave it at that." Rose faltered slightly on a note, but quickly picked it back up. She still did not look at Delilah, knowing it would only break her heart more if she did so. She had to forget about last night; forget that anything had happened at all. She made herself think of anything but that and the shower and even the time they'd spent incarcerated at Team Rocket H.Q. – everything hurt far too much.

"But I want to talk about it" said Delilah. "There's something I'd really like you to know- "

"Don't" said Rose shortly, finally looking at Delilah. "Just don't." She was sick of the games and that was that. What possessed her to be so cold like this? Maybe having to deal with going back and forth from friend to crush to acquaintance and all over the place confused her and she just didn't know where she stood. Delilah couldn't seem to make up her mind and if that was the case, Rose would much rather just leave right here, right now without a second thought. She decided to do just that.

"I can't stay here anymore" she said suddenly as she stopped playing and stood up. "I'm sick of it."

"Sick of what?" asked Delilah as she, too, stood up.

"Everything. I want to go find Sage. _Now._"

"I'll go with you."

"No" Rose responded calmly. "I want to do this on my own. I want my space."

"Space? What are you talking about?" asked Delilah, clearly confused at this sudden change.

Rose sighed. "I can't tell if you really wanna be my friend or what and I'm sick of being so confused. I want to leave."

Delilah looked completely crushed. "You don't even understand..." she said in almost a whisper.

"And I don't want to" said Rose. With that comment, she calmly walked back inside. Delilah followed and stayed in the kitchen as Rose went upstairs to grab her backpack and get dressed. There was no turning back now – she'd be on the road and leaving this place behind as she'd always done before. There was no use staying here when there was so much more for her out there. She came back downstairs fully clothed with her guitar and backpack over her shoulder. The choice was already made and as heart-wrenching as the look on Delilah's face was, she just had to move on. She said a quick goodbye, knowing a longer one would just make things all the more difficult.

"Will you ever come back…?" asked Delilah as she forced herself not to cry.

"Maybe" said Rose. It was strange to think that Delilah was almost 23-years-old – Rose felt like _she _was the one in charge right now, deciding to end this relationship right here, right now before things got too complicated. Besides, Rose had always thought that there were much better people out there for Delilah than her. The door was shut now – no turning back. Keep going Rose. Move on. Clouds, for the first time in a long time, could be seen gathering in the sky as she made her way onto the streets. She felt as though she was finally free again, or as one wise man once said: "free at last".

_And the path goes on..._


	23. So Far Away

_(A/N) This chapter ended up being shorter than I wanted, but I needed to get something up. The new character is being introduced a little sooner than expected, which is fine since I'm this far into the story. It's nice to get some other people involved in my evil plans. Mwuahaha. Anyway, please read and review._

Chapter 23: So Far Away

Goldenrod City – the biggest city in all of Johto. It had everything Celadon City had to offer and much more. There was a department store here where people flocked to splurge their money at any given chance. Children came out of the bike shop on brand-new bikes while happy parents watched them ride around. Toward the southernmost part of the city, an elderly couple and their granddaughter took care of many pokemon at the daycare. The underground tunnel was also a popular attraction; strangely more so than the radio station to the west. The Magnet Train dropped off even more Kanto tourists by the hour, keeping the entire city quite crowded. Everything was moving as if someone had hit the fast forward button.

Sage had found himself a little home of sorts just outside an old abandoned house in the eastern part of Goldenrod. It was simply a cardboard box, but it would have to do for now. Almost no one came to this part of the city and Sage liked it; he needed the space from the massive herd of people bustling around. Besides, if he kept going, he'd get himself even more lost than he already was. He was hungry and frustrated that his journey kept bringing him to more strange and unfamiliar places. Would Rose ever come and find him? He assumed that by now, he was probably too far away for her to do so.

* * *

Rose was doing her share of wandering around the countryside as well, as gathering clouds overhead turned darker and darker by the minute. The air was also cooling down fast and the rain could already be smelled in the air. It was about 2pm and Rose had walked all the way back to Vermilion City – the only path she was familiar with. She'd brought her money this time, so she had been able to stop for a quick lunch earlier. All morning she had asked people if they'd happened to see a Croconaw wandering around, only to be disappointed. After a while, she decided to ask someone where Fuchsia City was. She was given directions, which she immediately forgot. Eventually someone was generous enough to give her a map of Kanto, which made the journey so much easier for her.

Following the many routes away from the city, Rose made her way to the southern coast of Kanto where Sage was supposed to have been taken care of. Maybe someone there had seen him. It was very likely, which was the only thing motivating Rose at this point. Things were unfamiliar here, seeing as she'd never stepped foot in these parts. She was more than thankful that, at about 4pm, she finally saw the sign that read "Fuchsia City". She was amazed by everything she saw, but also knew that she could not stop to enjoy it all. She was on a mission and she couldn't allow herself to become distracted by anything no matter what. Salt could be smelled on the air that drifted by lazily and Rose immediately made her way to the ocean on the south coast.

Meanwhile, the clouds grew thicker and darker by the minute, and the crashing of thunder could be heard no more than a few miles away.

* * *

"Well hello there" said a teenage girl as she came across the old cardboard box on the street. Sage was curled up inside like some pathetic stray dog trying to avoid a storm, glaring at the strange human intruder. She had hazel-colored eyes and long obsidian hair. Her skin was almost an unhealthy pale color, or perhaps it was the dark hair and eyes that made it seem that way. Sage growled deeply, not accustomed to strangers approaching him like this.

"You don't have to be afraid" the girl said gently as she kneeled in front of him. Sage snorted and turned his back to her, wishing she would just leave him be. She seemed to have gotten the hint and actually left. Sage felt a bit relieved for a while, then immediately tensed up again when he saw the same girl coming back ten minutes later.

"I've brought you something" she said shortly, holding out a raw Magikarp. "I got this from the market across the street and thought you might like it." The girl kneeled in front of Sage again and he merely stared, watching the food cautiously as if it might jump out and attack him. Another minute passed and the girl still held out the food patiently, so he took the meat carefully into his mouth. It didn't seem to be any sort of trap, so he quickly swallowed it up without chewing. He sniffed the girl's hand to see if there was more, then started growling again.

"I'll get you more if you come with me" she said in that same patient tone. She didn't seem at all intimidated by the fanged pokemon, to his annoyance. He thought about lashing out and possibly tearing off a limb or two, but unbearable hunger pains held him back. If there was a possibility that this girl could get him some more food, then he didn't want to ruin his chances. For the first time, he ignored his instincts and crawled slowly out of the box. He stood up on two legs and watched the girl stand up as well, brushing herself off in the process.

"Follow me" she said as she began walking. Sage shrugged and lumbered behind her, hoping that Rose would eventually find him again in case this turned into another Team Rocket situation.

* * *

"Tempest, I need you…" Rose said for the third time. The ocean was as unresponsive as ever, the blue waves lapping at some rocky formations on the shore. The breeze was gradually blowing harder by the minute. The sky was so dark now that one would assume it was the evening. Even if Rose were able to call upon her old friend Tempest, she would not be able to traverse the water until the storm let up. She highly doubted she would be so lucky this time as to make it through unharmed. After a few minutes, a singsong call sounded across the ocean and at first, Rose thought it was a whale. But somewhere out on the water, quite a few yards away, a large pokemon was approaching. It was the graceful Tempest, swimming quickly toward the shore.

When she was close enough, she spoke: _Child, it has been a long time…_

Rose let out a sigh of relief. "I'm so glad to see you. I need your help again."

_Is it Sage again…?_

"Yeah, how did you know?"

_I can see the look of loss upon your face and it tells me you are in search of something. Of course, I may have been wrong seeing as you are short two people, not one. Where is the other? _She tilted her large head slightly in the same manner dogs do when they are confused."Oh, Delilah…" Rose said quietly. "She's at home right now. She… decided not to come this time…"

Tempest nodded slightly. _I will not ask details but will only tell you this: Losing a friend is probably the gravest mistake anyone could make. On a different note, you say you need help finding your Sage. I can sense his presence in the water, but I do not think he is still here. He is most likely wandering around on foot. But do not let it distress you, child; if I can still sense him, then he is not in any mortal danger. Unfortunately, we cannot travel until the storm passes. In the mean time, I will wait here for as long as that takes. I am here to aid and I will not abandon you._

Rose smiled and looked up at the pokemon, who also seemed to be smiling. "Thank you Tempest. I'll have to find a place to stay until the storm's gone. I just hope that's soon…" Tempest nodded again without saying another word. Rose turned away and walked back to the City, hoping to find somewhere to stay to protect her from the storm. The beach was deserted now, save for a few crab pokemon who dared to come out and walk around. Their beady eyes cautiously watched Rose walk past as she headed back to the city.

* * *

"Are you sure Ivory?" came the voice of an elderly woman. "He looks dangerous…"

Sage was once again in an unfamiliar place, but at least he was well-fed. This strange girl had taken him to her house, made him his own little bed under the window, and cooked him up some fresh meat from the market. The girl named Ivory stood watching him from the doorway into the living room, which had the appearance of an elegant mansion. There was a glass coffee table in front of a large and very comfortable-looking sofa with a huge flat-screen television on the north wall. All of the windows were a good six feet or more in height and had delicate silk curtains to match the French design.

"I'm sure he isn't too dangerous, Nana" said Ivory to the old woman. "Looks can be deceiving."

From the kitchen, another small blue pokemon waddled curiously into the room and gazed at Sage with deep cobalt blue eyes. Its ears perked up when it noticed the strange visitor, who growled and bared his fangs at it.

"Your Wartortle should be careful; he might get hurt." said Nana as Ivory put a cautious hand on her pokemon's shoulder.

"Sapphire, stay in the kitchen please" Ivory said as she gave him a soft nudge. "We have a visitor and it may take a while for him to get used to his new surroundings."

Sage snorted as if he had just proved a point as Sapphire walked back out of the room, bushy white tail wagging behind him with every step. Ivory took a seat on the couch and watched Sage, who curled up uncaringly in his little doggy bed and shut his eyes. He was more than thankful to have gotten out of the rain before it even started and into a very comfortable and warm home, despite the fact that he knew nothing of his own whereabouts or anything about the strange people around him. Outside the large window above him, clouds began gathering quickly and the trees were shivering and bending in the wind. The whole city seemed deserted now, as if the whole world knew there was a storm approaching.

"What are we going to do?" asked Nana, taking a seat next to the girl.

"We'll have to find his owner of course" said Ivory. "After the storm passes we can put out fliers around the city. People come here from the Kanto region too, which would make things much easier."

Nana nodded, watching Sage with mild curiosity with her wrinkled hands folded in her lap. "Did you ever end up calling Professor Oak back?" she asked.

"Yes, I did" Ivory responded, turning toward the woman. "He says Emerald is ready to come back home and that everything will be fine. It was just a mild case of dehydration from the long trip, which explained the fainting spell. I fear she might not take a liking to this new pokemon though." She played with a strand of black hair, looking back toward the window at the darkening clouds. There was a single person walking around outside, a very shady-looking man in a trenchcoat and hat. Next to him was some kind of pokemon, but the shadows cast on its body made it difficult to identify. However, its silhouette revealed that it was a very large dinosaur-like pokemon. Ivory shrugged it off, knowing this wasn't the first time she had seen strange activity in Goldenrod City. The man walked away in the direction of the radio tower and disappeared into the shadows.

* * *

"Here's your hotel key. I hope you enjoy your stay ma'am."

Rose took the key in her hands and walked toward the door numbered 14, thankful that she had been able to find a small seaside hotel before the storm started. In a way, she wished she didn't have to stay here alone. This made her think of Delilah and wonder what she might be doing. For all she knew, she could be happy that Rose was out of her life. Maybe she hated her after all. Rose mentally shrugged it off, knowing that her main objective right now was to find Sage and possibly move forward on her journey. The Pokemon League didn't sound like such a bad idea after all.

When Rose was finally inside the hotel room, she put her back on one of the armchairs and leaned her guitar up against the wall next to it. The room was very small, but cozy. There was a television in front of a twin-sized bed and the doors into the bathroom and kitchen were both on the north wall. Next to the bed was a window that looked out onto the beach and the vast ocean could easily be seen. This wasn't so bad, seeing as the room was cheap. Looking out the window, Rose could see rain beginning to fall from the nearly black clouds. The trees looked like they were about to just rip right out of the ground and tidal waves crashed onto the beach, picking up stray beach balls and inner tubes that were left behind and sweeping them out to sea. A streak of lightning cut across the sky, lighting up the room.

* * *

"Nana, it's started to rain" said Ivory as she got up from the couch and turned the TV off. The only thing that could be heard now was the booming of thunder and the pitter-patter of rain on the windows. Sage woke up and groggily looked around him, forgetting for a moment where he was. The clock on the wall near the door into the kitchen read 9 o' clock on the dot.

"Make sure all the windows in the house are shut then" said Nana as she walked past the living room to her bedroom. Ivory nodded even though no one saw it and went about checking all the rooms to make sure no windows had been left open. Out of curiosity, Sage decided to get up and follow her. He had to at least get to know his surroundings before he could feel completely comfortable staying here. He stayed close to Ivory's ankles as they both went from room to fancy room. The master bedroom was probably the most extravagant part of the house, featuring a large canopied queen-sized bed with an intricately carved redwood bureau, wardrobe, and nightstand. Sage looked in awe at the crimson red bedsheets and matching curtains on the two large windows, wishing he had the honor of sleeping here tonight rather than some dog bed.

Once all the windows were secured, Ivory made her way to Nana's room to say goodnight. Sage turned from her and headed back into the living room, ready for a night's sleep. Suddenly, he bumped into something hard coming around the corner and nearly fell on his back. He growled when he saw Sapphire standing there looking at him curiously. He blinked once or twice, tilted his head, than said "War-wartortle!" Sage snorted at him warningly and bared his teeth, blood-red eyes pretty much glowing with rage. Sapphire backed up a bit, but did not seem all that intimidated. He moved out of Sage's way, giving him room to walk through the living room door. Sage gave him one last warning glare, then walked cautiously into the room and to his bed.

"Come on Sapphire" said Ivory as she appeared in the doorway. "It's getting late and you need sleep. Emerald's coming home tomorrow, isn't that great?" She picked up the pokemon, who seemed to have forgotten all about his encounter with Sage, then said "Goodnight Croconaw. I'm not sure what else to call you. I hope you sleep well and that you find your trainer soon." With those words lingering in the air, she left and headed for her room.

* * *

Somewhere toward the west part of Goldenrod City, just outside the radio tower, the man in the trenchcoat had met up with another man waiting for him in the rain.

"You have your gun on you, right?" asked the waiting man. He was a very large, well-built man with arms like tree trunks. Next to him, looking around with angry glowing eyes, was a Charmeleon. The trenchcoat man nodded, then looked up at the pokemon that was walking next to him.

"You'd better be ready Tyranitar" he said to the pokemon, which nodded firmly and flexed its rock-hard muscles as though it were ready for a battle at any minute. "Good."

The two men walked into the building together with their pokemon following close behind.


	24. Through the Fire and Flames

_(A/N) Sorry for the long wait. I didn't have internet for a while because I moved, and when I did have it I was too busy to work on this fic. But it's not dead, so don't worry._

Chapter 24: Through the Fire and Flames

"Don't move."

He said it with such a calm voice that one would think this was just a daily routine for him. Horrified faces watched him from all around, hands up in the air and trembling uncontrollably. The woman behind the desk looked as though she were about to faint at any minute. The Charmeleon and Tyranitar stood close behind the man in the trenchcoat, who had his gun firmly in hand.

"I'll go upstairs, you stay down here" said the burly man, who also had a gun in hifs hand. His Charmeleon followed him quickly up the stairs, snapping at people who stood in their way. Meanwhile, more men showed up with guns, some of which wore the familiar Team Rocket R on their shirts.

"Mommy, mommy!" screamed a little girl, in one corner of the room. She couldn't have been more than eight years old. "Mommy, aren't we gonna have the interview with the nice lady? What's going on??"

"Stay next to me sweetie" said her worrisome mother, who held onto her daughter's hand for dear life. She was in tears, but tried to remain as calm as possible so as not to frighten the girl.

"Tell your brat to shut up" the trenchcoat man said as he cocked his gun. "Unless you want to see her pretty little head blow to pieces." The woman shook her head hysterically and held her daughter close, who began bawling her eyes out.

"Knock knock!" said the burly man as he kicked the door down that led into the recording studio. An older man who sat at the desk stood up quickly and went to grab a pokeball from his belt. "Don't even try it" the other man said, pointing his gun at his hostage. "Stay where you are and do not move." The vicious-looking Charmeleon came lumbering into the room. It looked around the room with a piercing gaze, breathing smoke from its nostrils and twitching the tip of its flaming tail.

"What is the meaning of this?!" asked the outraged man.

"Team Rocket's here to borrow your radio station for a while. We need to broadcast a message."

Within moments, the entire Johto radio station had been taken over by a dozen Rocket members, who kept the hostages huddled together on the second floor like a herd of cattle – some young, some old, some in between. The front doors and all the windows were locked as Team Rocket put forth their plans. Some members were making sure none of the people in the building escaped while the rest were in the recording studio preparing to make an announcement to all of Johto:

"Attention all men and women who are listening in on this station; this is Team Rocket member Mark speaking. We've taken over the Goldenrod radio station and are holding about half a dozen people hostage here. We have guns and we're not fucking around. We had something very valuable taken back from us by Silph Co. that we need to build up our army of powerful pokemon. Give us the All Stone back and release our leader Giovanni and these hostages will get out of here alive. If we do not get what we want then we'll shoot every fucker in here. You have until 12:30pm tomorrow to send someone over here from Kanto with what we've asked for. This is not a joke so do not take this lightly."

It seemed as though a blanket of silence had been draped over all of Johto. Adults as well as children who had been listening to the broadcast could only sit in their homes and stare in shock at their radios. Most children too young to understand questioned the adults, who did not know what to say or do. A few police officers on and off the job had heard the announcement and were quickly phoning the police station in Saffron City, where Giovanni was being held and awaiting trial. Workers for the Magnet Train station were forced to completely close up for the day, causing some citizens to be dropped off at the nearest stop and ushered to a hotel to stay for the night. The Silph Co. executive had been contacted as well, who listened to the details of the current dilemma. The message was repeated over and over on nearly every station to make sure everyone heard what was going on.

* * *

Listening to the radio as well was Ivory, who sat speechless at the kitchen table the next morning. Sage was sitting at the table across from her and had picked up bits and pieces of the message, but didn't seem to sense the urgency until Ivory jumped up. "Nana, that's happening _here_!" Sapphire hurried into the room to see what the fuss was all about and Sage growled menacingly at him.

"I know dear, I know" said Nana as she continued washing dishes as though nothing were happening. "And I hear the police have been contacted. There's not much we can do right now."

Ivory went into the living room and turned on the TV to the news channel, which showed images of the barricaded radio station and many cameramen who had rushed to the scene. A reporter stood in front of the building amongst the crowd and spoke:

"Right here in our peaceful city of Goldenrod we have a grave hostage situation. Seven people are reported to have been in this Radio Tower when Team Rocket members showed up and took over. They are keeping the hostages up on the second floor and have broadcasted a message to nearly every radio station on the air, urging police and anyone else to bring them their leader Giovanni, who is currently awaiting trial at the Saffron City jail. Team Rocket is also demanding Silph Co., in Saffron City as well, to hand over a new product they have in development – the All Stone. Police are currently surveying the area here to see if they can infiltrate the building and seize the Rocket members within."

Ivory turned off the channel without listening to the rest, her heart pounding. "Nana, I want to go see" she said shortly. "I want to see if I can help out." She headed to her room to grab a pair of shoes.

"You'd better be careful Ivory" said Nana, standing in the living room doorway. "You stay in the crowd, do not try and go near that building at all. It's far too dangerous." The tone of her voice told the girl she'd be in huge trouble if she didn't listen, so she decided it wouldn't be a good idea to defy her grandmother. Not just yet.

Sage hurried out the front door behind Ivory and Sapphire, seeing as it would do him no good just staying there at the house when there was so much action going on. He was curious to find out what was happening and if he had to, he could take out all his built-up energy on anyone involved. Onward they went up the paved road, following other people who were rushing to the scene. They stopped short behind a crowd of people surrounding the radio station. Some were just bystanders watching from afar while others had cameras and microphones – obviously newscasters. Ivory pushed a bit through the crowd and made her way to the front where she could get a better look. She looked up at one of the second-floor windows, seeing the intimidating glare of a Team Rocket member looking out on the people below.

* * *

"Oh shit."

"Will you watch your language Delilah?!" Jack shouted from the kitchen for the third time.

Delilah ignored him as she watched the news broadcast in shock. Jade sat next to her and tilted her head curiously, not quite comprehending. On the armchair opposite the couch was Delilah's Kadabra, which sat in a meditative stance with its eyes closed. It paid no attention to anyone else in the room despite what was happening on the news. Ivory could be seen on the screen, watching the scene from the growing crowd around the tower. What caught Delilah's eye, however, was the Croconaw with piercing red eyes standing by her side.

"… Sage…?"

Jade perked her ears up when she heard the familiar name, then hopped off the couch and wobbled over to the TV screen. She sat up on her haunches and sniffed the screen where Sage was standing, glaring at the Wartortle next to him.

"Oh my God… Mom!" She got up and hurried to the kitchen where Alicia was cleaning up after breakfast. "Mom, doesn't that look like Rose's pokemon right there??" Delilah asked frantically as she pointed to the screen.

"You mean that anorexic girl who wears the same clothes all the time?" asked Jack, looking up from his newspaper.

"You shut up." Delilah said. "Mom, that looks exactly like Sage. He ran away from her a couple days ago. Can I go to Goldenrod City to check it out?"

"What makes you think you can talk to me like that??" her father shouted.

"Honey… It's way to dangerous there right now" said Alicia as she put away the last dish in the cabinet and sat down at the table. No one seemed to be paying any attention to Jack. "Team Rocket is causing trouble there again. We don't need to involve ourselves in something like that. Besides, if Sage is there, how do you know Rose isn't there too?"

"I don't see her at all on that screen and she wouldn't be away from Sage unless he ran off."

Alicia sighed tiredly and folded her hands on the table. "How do you know Rose isn't looking for him as well? Wouldn't it be a waste of time to get there and find out she already found him?"

The truth was that Delilah was hoping to run into Rose either way. She could help her find Sage and even if Rose finds him first, Delilah might get the chance to see her again and apologize. Even if it were the last time they ever saw each other again, she at least wanted to talk to her and set things straight. Besides, Delilah had finally come to realize that this was her fault. She could have gone out to look for Sage with Rose instead of forcing her to make the journey alone, especially since there had been a storm the previous night and Delilah had no clue whether or not Rose had made it out safe.

"I can't let Rose go searching for Sage alone" said Delilah with a tone of finality in her voice. She was determined now and wasn't going to let anyone stop her.

"… Please be safe" Alicia said sadly. "I don't want to lose you. Take Jade and all your other pokemon with you to protect you." Delilah nodded and turned from her, ready to grab her things and start on her journey.

"Alicia, why do you let her do things like this?" asked Jack in an annoyed tone. "She always gets her own way with you whether or not you give her permission. I'm sick of it." He folded up the newspaper he was reading and tossed it uselessly to the middle of the table.

"Jack, she's going to be 23 years old in almost a week! Why do you need to have any control over her life at all??"

"Because she's lives under MY roof and until she moves out, she lives under MY rules!" he slammed his hand on the table to emphasize his point. "If she wants to be so damn independent then she better start paying rent." He got up angrily from the table, knocking his chair over in the process, and headed upstairs to his room. Alicia breathed slowly so as not to get angry, waiting for her daughter to come back to say goodbye. After about ten minutes, a fully-dressed and fully equipped Delilah came down the stairs. She had her bag on her shoulder and her pokeball belt around her waist, ready to head out on yet another adventure. Jade hopped over to her, excited to have the opportunity to get out of the house. Kadabra opened one eye and peeked around it, then drifted off into meditation again.

"Please be careful" said Alicia as she got up to give her daughter a hug.

"Don't worry Mom" responded Delilah, giving her mother a squeeze, "I'll be back as soon as I can. Besides, it's my birthday soon." Alicia nodded with tears in her eyes, but she looked away so Delilah wouldn't see. "I'll be fine. I promise" said Delilah with a smile. She turned and went into the living room to retrieve her Kadabra.

"Kaaaaadabra…" said the pokemon in a sort of chant.

"Let's go you" Delilah said with a laugh, grabbing its arm gently and tugging. Kadabra opened its purple eyes completely and looked around as if it didn't know where it was. "We're going on a trip." Delilah managed to coax it off the couch and on its feet, then put it in its proper place in the pokeball. Without another look back, she headed out the door with Jade following close behind.

* * *

"Ah fuck" Rose muttered to no one in particular.

_Goodness, child. Why must you use that language?_

"I'm sorry" responded Rose as she rode on the back of her old friend. "I almost dropped my guitar in the water."

_Then you should refrain from playing it until we get to land_ said Tempest without looking anywhere but out on the horizon. The shadows of New Bark Town buildings could be seen slowly approaching in the distance.

"But what else is there to do?" whined Rose, hugging the beloved instrument close to her. "I'm bored."

Tempest merely chuckled, pushing herself forward a little faster. The sky was almost perfectly clear save for a few fluffy clouds that floated by. It was as though the storm hadn't even struck the previous night. Even with all the wind blowing, not one tree seemed to be out of place. Of course Rose had ended up sleeping through the storm, so there was a possibility that it stopped just as quickly as it started.

"Are we any closer to Sage?" asked Rose as she strummed on her guitar and watched a stray cloud float by.

_I sense him getting closer. He hasn't moved from his location in a while. You may find him sooner than we expected._

"I hope so…"

They finally reached land at around 11 o' clock. Tempest stopped just before the beach to let Rose off, who had to get her feet wet to get back on solid ground. She felt slightly dizzy from the long ocean travel, but refused to stop and take a rest when she was getting so close to finding Sage. She made sure her guitar was secure on her back and her bag as well, then turned to Tempest.

"Thank you so much. I really don't know what I'd do without you."

_It is not a problem. _Tempest bowed her head as she always did._ Keep traveling to the west and you may run into your friend. That is all I can do to help at this point. From here on is your journey alone._

Rose nodded and walked away, eager to start yet another journey on foreign grounds. New Bark Town reminded her almost of Pallet Town, but the houses here were in much better condition and the roads were paved as opposed to being simply dirt. It was on the border of summer and autumn around this time, so the smell of the new season was all around. Children played happily in their backyards with their pokemon friends and for a moment, Rose wished she could be them. She never had any friends growing up except for Sage, and he was already slowly drifting away from her. It seemed as though she was losing a lot of people lately.

_But I didn't lose Delilah…_ thought Rose as she walked past an elderly couple on the road._ I walked away from her myself. She lost me._

She reached the end of town faster than she'd expected and came across a sign that read "Route 29 to Cherrygrove City". A wild Pidgey sat atop the sign and cocked its head at her as she passed by, walking as fast as she could. She had to keep going without stopping for even a minute if she was to find Sage again.

* * *

"11:30" said a Rocket member as he read the clock on the wall. The hostages in the room were all sitting on the floor in the corner, not knowing what else to do. No one dared to speak, terrified of the guns pointed at them.

"Time is running out" said the Rocket named Mark. He twirled a gun in his hand absentmindedly as he looked out the window at the people below. There were police officers amongst the crowd, talking to one another. A reporter was standing in front of many cameras and explaining the situation for probably the fifth time since last night. The crowd seemed to have gotten bigger and was still growing by the hour. However, there was only an hour left before each and every one of the people in the building died.

"Mommy, are we gonna get out of here soon? I'm hungry…" said a little girl from the corner. Her face was red and puffy from crying so much. Her mother held her close as if she might disappear completely if she let her go.

"Don't worry, we'll go out to your favorite pizza place once we're out of here" responded the mother. She hid her tear-stained face in the girl's hair.

"I don't think they're doing shit about this" said Mark as he peered out the window. He moved to the east window and looked down at the Magnet Train station. The train hadn't come back since last night.

"Just have patience" said another member sitting at the desk. "Those police are probably planning something though, so we'd better keep an eye out." Mark nodded as he continued looking around.

_

* * *

_

At this time, Ivory had detached herself from the crowd and was crouched behind the large Radio Tower. She was trying to get one of the basement windows open, which was blocked by thick metal bars to keep out intruders. She kicked at it a few times, but only managed to break the glass _behind_ the bars.

"Croconaw, do you think you could help me out and chew through the bars?" asked Ivory after a few minutes' effort.

Sage shrugged and glanced at Sapphire, then took one of the bars in his huge jaws. After a few minutes and hundreds of pounds of pressure, the first bar broke. He did this to a few more bars to make sure Ivory would be able to fit through, then stood aside with his arms crossed as if to say "I'd like to see you do that."

"Okay, follow me" said Ivory as she slipped in between the bars and into the basement. Sapphire carefully followed after, then Sage. Numerous cardboard boxes cluttered the floor and the group had to climb over them. Luckily the lights were on down here – the three of them had no problem finding the stairs leading to the first floor. Ivory tiptoed as best she could when she discovered that every one of the steps creaked noisily. The two pokemon climbed the stairs on all fours slowly, staying close to Ivory's heels and looking around cautiously.

_CLICK._

The door at the top of the stairs opened up quickly, revealing a Rocket member holding a gun. He pointed it at the three of them, but Sage was much faster. He immediately jumped in front of the others and released a powerful blast of water from his mouth. It hit the man with such force that he was knocked clear off his feet and flew back into the room behind him. He landed hard on his back, groaning in pain from the impact.

"Come on" Ivory said, quickly making her way up the stairs past the fallen Rocket member. Sage growled threateningly as they all hurried across the lobby and up the stairs. Sapphire did the honor of headbutting the door down that led into the recording studio where the hostages were being held. Many eyes stared at Ivory and the two pokemon standing in the doorway.

"What the hell is going on??" yelled Mark as he turned quickly from the window and reached for the gun on his belt. Before he could react fast enough, Sapphire sent a well-aimed tackle at his stomach. He let out a strange retching sound as he was knocked down, holding his stomach and curling up in a ball on the floor. Three other Rocket members surrounded Ivory with their guns. She hadn't anticipated being outnumbered.

"Alright girly," said one man, "go join the others in the corner and don't try anything funny."

Without a proper backup plan, Ivory quietly went to the corner of the room where the rest of the hostages were sitting around and awaiting their fate. She sat down further away from everyone else, pondering what her next move would be. Sapphire and Sage stood close to her, the latter glaring at every man with the familiar R on his shirt.

"11:45 sir" a man called out. He was seated nonchalantly in a chair further away from everyone else. One would think he had nothing at all to do with the situation at hand.

"And they don't have what we asked for" said the man in the trenchcoat. "Might as well just kill all these fuckers instead of waiting for nothing."

"Patience, Lou" said Mark. "We'll wait until the last minute. If we kill them now and Giovanni is on his way, they may send him back. We need to be patient."

"Don't talk to me like a little kid" grumbled Lou as he lit up a cigarette and sat down with his feet up on the desk. None of the Rocket members seemed to be taking the situation seriously, although they were the ones in control. Ivory noted this as she spoke with the two pokemon about what they should do.

"We have to gather up everyone else's pokemon and outnumber Team Rocket. But we have to do it quietly and without any of them seeing. Do you understand any of that?" Sapphire nodded dutifully and Sage looked around him. Of the seven people other than Ivory, only two of them seemed to have a pokemon with them. This, of course, only included the pokemon that were outside their pokeballs. Sage walked away carefully and approached a Meowth, ducking down on all fours and hiding behind and chubby man sitting cross-legged on the floor. With only a few exchanged words, the Meowth nodded and slinked away to where Ivory was sitting and waiting patiently. Sapphire crawled away next and came to the little girl who was crying in her mother's arms. This, however, was a little more difficult. A burly, angry-looking Nidorino was napping on the floor, ears twitching as they picked up the sounds in the room. Sapphire nudged him lightly and explained the plan, only to be shooed away with the equivalent of "Fuck you".

Sage and the Meowth sat next to Ivory and waited in anticipation for their cue to strike. When Sapphire returned, he joined them as well. "Meow meow" the Meowth said quietly to Sage, who grumbled a short response. They seemed to be talking over the plans for overpowering Team Rocket and saving the hostages. "Wait until that one turns back around" said Ivory in a whisper. She was pointing to a man who had a gun in his hand, but was pacing the floor around them. He was hardly paying attention to the people he was supposed to be watching over.

"Wait" Ivory said suddenly. "Look." She pointed to the Tyranitar that was brought into the building. It seemed to be very alert, standing up tall and surveying everything around it. Its huge head turned to Ivory and the pokemon and it watched them for a second, then turned away and looked at what the Rocket members were doing at the desk. Amongst them was the Charmeleon, basking in praises and petting from its owner. Ivory would have laughed at the fact that something so unruly and vicious was being pampered like a pretty Persian, but now was not the time for that.

"What do we do?" Ivory asked herself as she looked all around her. Now would be the perfect time to attack if the Tyranitar hadn't been watching everything so closely. The man who was supposed to be watching over the hostages was pacing around with his back turned, twirling his gun carelessly in his hand.

"Croconaw, NO!!" screamed Ivory as the pokemon in question suddenly charged at the Tyranitar as soon as it turned its head. He latched his huge jaws onto its thick tail and held on tight as his prey swung its tails around violently to throw off its attacker. The Meowth saw this as its cue to attack and ran straight up to the man who was once pacing back and forth. With a graceful leap, it landed on the man's back and clawed him as hard as it could.

"What the FUCK??" screamed Mark as he ran to the scene. People in the corner of the room were taking out their pokeballs and releasing more pokemon to attack the Rocket members. The burly man sent his Charmeleon out onto the floor to scorch anyone who got too close. One woman yelped in pain as the flames, which shot forcefully out of the pokemon's mouth, caught onto her pant leg. She rolled on it a few times and immediately put it out. More flames were shooting from every direction and its source didn't seem to care where it was aimed. Eventually a stray flame caught the wooden desk in the recording room and everything shot up in flames instantaneously.

"Shit" said Lou as he barely made it out of the burning room. He took out his gun and shot at anyone who ran by him, but was soon tackled by someone's pokemon. Sage was eventually slammed into the wall by the Tyranitar and nearly blacked out before Sapphire blasted the enemy with water. Being weak to the element, the Tyranitar retreated to the corner of the room where all the combatants moved to when the fire started. The clock on the wall, which read 12:10pm, fell to the floor in a flurry of broken glass.

"Sapphire, we need to at least get rid of that fire" said Ivory over the noise around her. She was nearly knocked to her feet when the Nidorino from earlier ran by her. The fire was spreading quickly and only one other person had a water-type pokemon, which was doing a poor job at dousing the flames.

* * *

"Well this sucks" said Delilah. She was inside Celadon's train station, hoping to get a ride to Goldenrod City as soon as possible. However, she had just been told that the train stations were put on lock down since the previous night. "I guess we'll have to do this the old-fashioned way, huh Jade?" Her faithful pokemon cocked her head, then followed Delilah out onto the streets. She took out a pokeball and threw it straight up into the air. "Come on Pidgeot" she said as she watched the bird being released in a flash of light from her pokeball. She landed with her usual grace, then ducked down to allow Delilah to climb aboard. Once she was seated properly, Pidgeot spread her wings wide and took off with lightning speed.

"We need to get to Goldenrod City" said Delilah over the sound of the wind rushing past them. Pidgeot trilled in response, then took off toward the west. Countless buildings flew by in a blur many feet below them, then a massive void of deep blue as they passed over the ocean. The sun was high in the sky and leaving a sparkling reflection on the water's surface. Everything was moving so fast around Delilah that she began to grow dizzy from staring at it. She instead focused her attention upon Jade, who sat snug between her legs. She shook a bit in fear of being so high up off the ground. A comforting hand reached out and gently stroked the pokemon. "We'll be there soon enough" said Delilah.

* * *

"Keep going you two!" urged Ivory as Sapphire and Sage blasted the spreading fire with water. Someone's Golduck was also helping them. However, the flames seemed to be growing faster than they could put them out. The fact that the Charmeleon was still shooting flames in all directions was not helping in the least. It scorched many of the people joined in the fight, friend or foe, and had only stopped when it was "accidentally" full-body tackled by the Tyranitar that just so happened to be within range. The lizard-like pokemon was slammed into a wall and knocked out cold.

"Alright, enough of this!" shouted Mark as he sent a Raichu straight for Ivory's pokemon. Sapphire barely dodged a Volt Tackle from the large mouse, but Sage was hit with the attack full-on. With a twitch, Sage's body went completely limp as it laid on the floor. Sapphire turned around quickly and lashed out with its tail, knocking the Raichu backwards. It regained its composure, then aimed a Double Kick at its attacker. This was dodged once again and countered with Headbutt.

* * *

"Great, now I'm lost" Rose said to herself as she walked past a sign on the road that read "Route 30/31". "Okay, so where the hell is the next town??" she asked herself angrily. She had no clue where anything was in this region and there were no people on the road at this time to tell her where to go. She had no pokemon to transport her either, which made things all the more stressful. "Why couldn't I have stayed in Pallet Town?? I'm almost old enough to move out anyway… I think… Ugh, Rose, you're talking to yourself again…"

"You should try talking to real people then" a voice said from behind her. Rose spun around and came face-to-face with an angry-looking boy about her age with light brown hair and brown eyes. His hair was very short and his clothes were a bit too baggy for this kind of weather.

"Name's Christopher" he said in a cut-to-the-chase, no bullshit sort of voice. "You need help?"

"From you? No thanks pal." Rose turned from him and began walking away. He said no more than five words and already she didn't like him. She could detect the sarcasm and cynicism and did not want to deal with another Delilah. Rose sighed when he heard footsteps following behind her.

"You're headed for Violet City" Christopher said casually, as if they had been walking together for hours.

"And…?" asked Rose without stopping.

"Well, you said you were lost."

Rose stopped short in her tracks and turned around again. "I told you I didn't need your help. I'm doing fine on my own, thanks." She turned back around and continued walking, trying to ignore the chuckling coming from the boy.

"I take it you're new here?"

"…I've lived here for years" Rose said defiantly. "You can go away now."

"What part did you live in?" asked Christopher, finding this situation far too amusing.

"Does it matter? My life is none of your business." She picked up the pace, hoping he wouldn't try and follow. Sure enough, he tailed after her until they came to a turn in the road and a sign that said "Route 31 to Violet City". Rose sighed in relief, followed the road westward, and continued walking without slowing down.

"Why the hell are you following me anyway?" she asked, avoiding his gaze as he began walking beside her.

"Well… I think you're kinda interesting" he responded, not taking his eyes off of her.

"Great, a stalker."

"No no, nothing like that. I ain't a creep. I saw the guitar and thought it was cool. I play guitar too, but it's electric." The venom behind his voice seemed to have melted away as he talked to her, but it didn't make Rose any more comfortable around him. There was something else in his eyes that made him suspicious, but she just couldn't place it. There was a long stretch of silence as they walked all the way to Violet City.

"Did you hear what was going on at Goldenrod City?" Christopher asked, breaking the silence.

"No. Should I care?" spat Rose. He didn't seem to get the hint.

"Well, yeah. Team Rocket's back. They took over the whole damn Radio Tower. They're holding hostages and everything."

"Why in the world are you following me anyway?" Rose finally asked. She stopped and stared at him.

"I was actually headed toward Goldenrod City" responded Christopher. "I lived there my whole life. So I guess you're stuck with me for a while, 'cause it looks like that's where you're headed too."

* * *

"Right here girl. Stop here."

Pidgeot swooped back down to earth and landed gracefully on her feet. Jade jumped down first, then Delilah. The winged pokemon was quickly returned to her pokeball, then put safely back on Delilah's belt. Jade turned her head toward the sound of many voices. "Nido nido?" she said with her ears perked up.

"Come on, the Radio Tower's that way" said Delilah as she hurried in that direction. "Wow… I haven't been here in years" she said quietly to herself. She stopped in front of the large building and looked up in shock and awe at the smoke pouring out of one of the windows. She looked at the crowd around her, but there was no sign of Sage or the pokemon and girl he was with. Police sirens could be heard approaching and many police cars stopped near the crowd. Delilah watched as the first car door opened, revealing a skinny blond cop. He went to the back door of the car and opened the door. A very classy-looking older man came out in handcuffs.

"Giovanni?" Delilah said to no one in particular.

Indeed it was the leader of Team Rocket himself, casually looking up at the burning building with a mingled expression of interest and disgust. Delilah could have sworn she saw the corner of his mouth twitch. She followed his gaze to the Radio Tower and could see that another window had been broken and was pouring smoke. People inside ran by the window at random, looking like there was a riot going on.

"Let's go." Delilah said as she picked up Jade and made her way to the back of the burning building, hoping to find a way inside. She instantly noticed the broken window and the steel bars snapped into pieces. Seeing as the person who slipped through the window before her was much more slender, Delilah had to struggle a bit to get inside. Once her feet hit the ground, she held her arms out to catch Jade as she hopped through the window. They both walked over and around the many boxes scattered about in the dimly-lit cellar until they made it to the stairs.

* * *

"Croconaw!!" yelped Ivory as she ran to the pokemon's aide. He was dead still with half-lidded eyes. The agitated Raichu went after Sapphire for the third time, sparks flying from its cheeks as it ran toward it. Sapphire withdrew into his shell and tackled the oncoming Raichu, colliding with its stomach and sending it flying across the room. It slammed into the Tyranitar and was knocked out cold from the impact with its rock-hard scales. Both Sapphire and the Golduck went after the Tyranitar before it could react.

"I think this is a good time to surrender" said a Rocket member, staying away from the fight for a while.

"We're not giving up" Mark said shortly. "The Boss would be pissed."

The flames were spreading quickly throughout the second floor, forcing everyone to relocate to the lobby. Those who still had pokemon capable of fighting kept teaming up against any Rocket member's pokemon they could find. The unlucky ones, both friend and foe, had been engulfed by the fire before they could escape to the first floor. Ivory was not fighting anymore, but was instead trying to get the front doors open while keeping the unconscious Sage nearby. The Golduck, Meowth, and Sapphire all tackled the large double doors until finally the wood cracked and split into many pieces. The crowd outside was staring in awe at the battle going on inside. Police rushed past Ivory to arrest all the Rocket members and to make sure the hostages were all okay, breaking up the ongoing fights as they did so.

Soon the building was cleared out and fire trucks came to put out the fire that was beginning to move down the stairs to the lobby. Delilah had been able to follow the hostages out of the building. She pushed past people to catch up with Ivory, who stood aside to watch the scene around her. The crowd of people who watched the entire thing had moved away until no one but the hostages, firefighters, and police offices were standing in front of the building. The fire went out surprisingly fast for one spreading so quickly. Delilah caught sight of Ivory running southbound.

"Excuse me" said Delilah as she ran alongside Ivory and put a hand on her shoulder. They both stopped and looked at each other.

"Yes?" Ivory said out of breath.

"I was wondering… Where did you get that Croconaw?" Delilah pointed at Sage, who was held safely in Ivory's arms.

"Last night I found him in a cardboard box not too far away" Ivory responded. "He got hurt pretty bad in the fight. Are you his owner?"

"Not exactly. But my friend owns him. He ran away from her a while back and we've been looking for him. His name is Sage by the way."

Ivory nodded comprehensively, then looked at the pokemon in question. "Right now he needs to get to a Pokemon Center fast."

"I'll go with you."


	25. Hey There Delilah

Chapter 25: Hey There Delilah

She had taught herself to play the catchy tune the first time she heard it on the radio, making it the first song she had ever learned to play. It was so simple yet so beautiful, and she had even gotten the hang of singing along while she played. Sitting under a lone willow tree in Violet City reminded her of when she'd spend hours on end playing her guitar for Sage in the woods behind her old house. Violet City itself was very wooded even though many people lived here. It was the perfect hippie hangout, complete with a tower full of Buddhist monks who trained pokemon. It stood high over the few houses here, casting a huge shadow over everything when the sun was positioned a certain way.

Christopher had indeed tailed Rose all the way here and took a seat high above her head on a thick branch, where he was poking at an empty bird's nest with a twig. "How long are you gonna play that song?" His voice broke the trance Rose had been in for the last half hour or so.

"As long as I want, thank you" she spat as she tuned a string on her guitar. "If you hate it so much then why the hell are you still here? You said you were headed to Goldenrod City."

"I am" said Christopher. "But you looked like you needed help, so I decided to at least be nice and stay behind to make sure you got there."

"You don't even know me."

"I'd like to get to know you though."

Rose sighed and stood up from her comfy spot, then brushed herself off. "It's guys like you who make me gay" she said bluntly as she put her guitar on her back. She grabbed her bag in the same hasty manner and walked away without looking back.

"Ouch" said Christopher as he watched her walk away and find another tree to sit under. He decided to give her some space this time, seeing as he'd been getting on her nerves since they met. A few yards away, Rose sat back down under another tree. A very scruffy-looking man with no shoes and a shaggy beard was sitting not too far from her. He had an old coffee can next to him which Rose figured was full of change. Every couple of minutes, the man would pick up the can and rattle it. Whoever was nearby would either give him a disgusted look or spare him a few pennies. Business didn't seem to be booming for him.

"It's for my goddaughter" the man said to Rose when he finally noticed her staring. She turned away in embarrassment and stared at the guitar in her lap. "She was attacked by a vicious pokemon, so I'm raising money for hospital expenses."

"I have money" Rose said quietly as she reached into her pocket and put a 20 into the can.

The man looked at it with tears in his eyes and whispered "God bless you child."

To brush off the uncomfortable feeling this man was giving her, Rose adjusted the guitar and resumed playing one of her favorite songs. However, she couldn't seem to play properly with the man sitting next to her and watching so intently, so she tried to play as quietly as possible while still being able to hear the notes. Eventually she played a little louder once she slipped into a sort of trance. It was as though she were the only one there. She decided to pretend to play for Delilah - something she had always wanted to do ever since she began developing feelings for her. Rose's eyes watered at the thought of Delilah being so far away and not being able to hear her, especially since the song was originally written for a girl named Delilah.

_I'm a thousand miles away  
__But girl, tonight you look so pretty  
__Yes you do…_

The lyrics rang in her head, but she was far too shy to start singing them aloud. Instead, she pictured herself in one of those clichéd romance movie scenes where some guy is standing outside his lover's window and serenading to her in the middle of the night. But that guy was Rose, standing under a silvery patch of moonlight and playing her guitar and singing to Delilah, who leaned out of her window with an adoring look in her bright green eyes. She looked absolutely hypnotized by the words that floated in the late summer air, mingled with the sound of crickets.

_Hey there Delilah  
Don't you worry about the distance  
I'm right there if you get lonely  
Give this song another listen  
Close your eyes  
Listen to my voice, it's my disguise  
I'm by your side…_

"My God child, look!" exclaimed a voice from beside her. She opened her eyes, though she couldn't even remember closing them in the first place, and turned her head toward the man. He was pointing at the coffee can next to him and when Rose looked, she saw that it was stuffed with 10's and 20's. The man was beaming brightly and looking at the money as if he'd never seen anything like it in his life.

"Was that… from me playing…?" asked Rose, just as surprised as he.

"Yes. When you started playing, some people came by and just filled it up. Oh thank you child!" He dumped out the can like a little kid playing with blocks and counted the money with tears in his eyes. "There's over 70! Here, take some of it. You helped." He held out a hand with a few wrinkled 10's in it, but Rose declined the offer.

"You need it more than I do" she said politely. The man simply nodded as he counted and recounted the money, unable to believe what was happening. Rose continued to play, having grown more comfortable about other people hearing. After another five minutes or so, Christopher came over.

"You know, we should get going" he said. He looked at the dirty man under the tree and made a face.

"What time is it?" Rose asked, standing up and stretching.Christopher looked at his watch. "Almost 5."

"Wow. We should definitely find a place to stay for the night."

Christopher scoffed. "I thought you said you've been to this region before?"

"Who says I was telling the truth? And what does that have to do with anything?"

"Well…" Christopher began. "If you head toward the west for a while until you reach the National Park, right below that is Goldenrod City. Shouldn't take long to get there. A good two- or three-hour walk at the most."

Rose shrugged, knowing she couldn't argue with him as she had never been anywhere near this area before. All she could do was trust what this kid was telling her and hope that he was right. She slung her guitar over her back and bid the man under the tree goodbye. She also made sure her bag was on her back as well - something she'd rather not accidentally leave behind. Without saying a word, Rose decided to use Christopher's vague directions and lead the way westward.

* * *

"Is he gonna be okay?"

Ivory looked just as worried as Delilah as they sat in the lobby of the Pokemon Center, talking to the nurse here. One could tell by the expression on her face just how well Sage was doing the moment she came in through the double doors to give them the news.

"I'm not sure" was her short response. There was a moment of silence as she looked over her clipboard at Sage's various health records. "He seems to be having a strange reaction to his injury…" Again there was silence as she flipped a page and scanned it. "Because of his forced evolution, he's not at all used to the new body. He's much weaker even though he's a stronger species of pokemon because his mind hasn't caught up to it yet. An attack like this could have killed him, but it didn't. He's paralyzed, but we have no clue how long it will be until he's back on his feet. This may be permanent. The shock may have also injured his brain. Our machines are showing irregular brain patterns, mostly those shown in people with bipolar disorder. I've never seen anything like this before."

Delilah's face paled a bit. "So he's just going to stay here at the Pokemon Center?" she asked in almost a whisper.

"It's the only thing we can do for now" said the nurse. "We can monitor his health and get back to you if his condition changes."Both Ivory and Delilah nodded, then looked at each other. "I suppose that means you're staying at my house" said Ivory as she played with her hands nervously. "We have a guest room that you can stay for as long as you need."

"Thanks" Delilah said shortly as she watched the nurse walk away. There were many people here having their pokemon checked, some of which had been locked up in the Radio Tower. They looked nervous even now, probably from the shock.

"I think we should go now" said Ivory as she stood up. Sapphire stood up from the seat to her right and stretched. "I'd rather not be hounded by interviewers. I want to just forget about all this. My Nana's making some really good homemade stew for dinner and I don't want to be late for that."

"Alright" Delilah said with a sigh. She got up and stretched as well, then followed Ivory out the door with Sapphire and Jade following. Life went on as it did before the incident, as if nothing ever happened. People walked to and fro, paying no attention to anything but the ground under their feet. Some children played tag, weaving in between of buildings and dragging their pokemon along.

"Where's your house?" asked Delilah.

"Just up here" Ivory pointed. "Across the street from the butcher shop, next to that old broken down house."

"… Oh. I think I'd rather lead the way." Something seemed to be bothering Delilah as they walked on."And why is that?" Ivory inquired.

"I hate being the follower."

Delilah walked ahead of Ivory and led the way to where she said her house was. It was strange to see such a huge and extravagant-looking house standing next to an ugly dilapidated one. Delilah looked at the old house next door and sighed.

"Something wrong?" asked Ivory, stopping halfway up her front steps.

"I used to live there… that's all." Delilah said no more as Ivory led the way this time, coming in through the front doors and then closing them behind her.

"Take your shoes off here" Ivory said, slipping her shoes off and putting them aside. Delilah followed suit and then gasped when she looked up at the huge room they were in. There was a huge set of stairs leading to a balcony lined with rooms and on the sides of the staircases were doors leading off into even more rooms. Everything was decorated in beautiful crimson, black, and gold colors. The house looked so much smaller on the outside, probably because it was longer than it was wide. The two of them went through the door on the left into the kitchen, where the old woman called Nana was chopping up vegetables on a cutting board. There was a glass table in the center of the room and everything here was either silver or ivory white.

"Oh, who is this?" asked Nana as she turned around to greet Ivory.

"Delilah" the guest answered shortly. She was far too amazed by everything to say much more.

"Welcome" Nana said with a smile. "Dinner will be ready in a bit, I just need to prepare all the ingredients. Make yourself at home dear, you look tired."

"Come on" said Ivory as she took Delilah by the hand. "We can go in the living room and wait. We have a TV. Let's go Sapphire." Delilah was pretty much dragged into the next room like a dog on a leash and Sapphire followed from behind. The three of them sat down comfortably on the pearly white couch, which had at least a half dozen pillows neatly arranged on it.

"This place is amazing" Delilah said as she looked around at everything in the room. She particularly liked the huge windows that could be opened like glass doors. The silver and white curtains, which matched the colors of the kitchen, shivered in the light end-of-summer breeze. One window looked out onto the streets of Goldenrod and another was right across from it, looking out onto the back of the house where a beautiful garden and in-ground pool could be seen.

"I've lived in this house my whole life" said Ivory. "By now I'm used to it, so I don't exactly know what is so special about it. It might be because I was born into a wealthy family from the start."

"Some aren't as lucky as others" responded Delilah, thinking more about Rose's upbringing than her own when she said this.

"Which is why I don't flaunt it. Half my friends don't even know."

"Yeah…" was all Delilah said. She stared at the large window to her right, not really focusing on anything in particular.

"You seem rather spacey" said Ivory. "Are you okay?"

Delilah looked back at the girl. "Just thinking about someone" she responded vaguely. "I haven't seen her in a while and I think I've finally pissed her off. Sometimes I wish I could just apologize and make it up to her somehow."

"That's how love is sometimes" Ivory said with a sigh. She seemed just as spaced-out as Delilah, staring unblinkingly at the blank TV screen.

"Who said I was in love?" asked Delilah defensively.

Ivory chuckled a bit. "The look in your eye makes it obvious. Besides, you blushed when I said that." She gave Delilah a knowing smirk.

"It's hot in here. I didn't blush." Her snippy attitude seemed to be coming back - that is, at least on the outside. But inside, her mind was teeming with thoughts of Rose and the possibility of seeing her again. It seemed luck was against her this time. Running into her once was one thing, but two times seemed nearly impossible. Besides, Rose had no business in Goldenrod City.

_But what about Sage…?_ she asked herself. _If she saw the news report earlier, she would've seen him on the screen. Even if she didn't, I'd have to go find her to give him back anyway. There's no way I won't find her at least one more time. Then I can finally talk to her…_

She stared back out the window at the paved streets, which became emptier and quieter as the evening approached. Citizens were settling down into their beds and tourists were either finding a place to stay for the night or getting back on the Magnet Train to go back to Kanto. Delilah looked up at the blue sky, which was showing the smallest hint of orangey-pink. She wondered if Rose was looking up at the sky too - something she'd always liked doing. Maybe she was even playing a song on guitar for her.

* * *

Two hours of walking could really drive a girl crazy, especially having to do so with someone as immature as Christopher. Rose couldn't walk ten feet without him making a comment about her hair or the way she walked or how much he really enjoyed walking behind her. Unfortunately, she was stuck with him for the entire trip whether she liked it or not. Sundown had approached faster than either of them had expected and the sounds of nocturnal pokemon were louder than usual.

"We must be close to the National Park" Christopher said as they walked on. The trees thickened here and some tall grass - at least two feet high - could be seen in the distance. Seeing as it was dark, however, that "distance" was probably closer than they had imagined.

"What's the National Park supposed to be?" asked Rose. "Like the Safari Zone?"

"Umm. Sorta…"

"What do you mean 'sorta'?" They found themselves walking past a sign that indeed said "National Park" and the tall grass was just at their feet. They stopped."Well, you _can_ catch pokemon here like in Fuchsia City" Christopher said uneasily. "But they're all bug pokemon. And huge ones. Some can be dangerous without protection."

"I don't have pokemon" Rose said as she peered into the grass. She could have sworn she saw a pair of glowing yellow eyes staring back at her, but it could also have simply been her imagination. "And by the way you make it sound, you have no pokemon either."

Christopher didn't answer, but instead followed Rose right into the grass. Determination sure made people much more brave than they really are. It could have also been the fact that Rose didn't have to venture into the grass alone. Christopher stayed close behind and Rose, strangely, trusted him to have her back. They walked about three yards and had not seen a single pokemon anywhere, to their relief. Rose knew they should still be on the lookout, but something about the still of the evening and the lack of pokemon around them made her relax just a bit. She stepped with much more confidence, eager to get out and finally reach Goldenrod City. She saw some dim lights coming in through the grass and she knew they were close. But before she could run to safety, something grabbed her by the ankle.

"Christopher, that is NOT funny!" she yelled in annoyance as she attempted to backhand the boy. She turned quickly and saw he was a few feet away, staring at the ground in horror.

"Don't move" he whispered. "Something's got you…"

The fact that neither of them knew what was hidden deep inside the grass was most likely the reason why Rose had already begun to panic. She tried to pull her leg up, but whatever had her around the ankle simply held on tighter. Her hands shifted through the grass wildly in search of the culprit and they came across what felt like a giant pair of mandibles. They held on even tighter and when Rose thought that her leg was about to snap in two, it let go and rose up from the grass. Even in the dim light here, a brown scaly body and huge spiky jaws could be seen.

"That's a Pinsir" Christopher said as he backed up slowly. "_Run._"

Rose didn't care whether or not he followed; she just wanted to get away from the pokemon as fast as possible. She sprinted away without looking back, hoping it wasn't smart enough to follow her. Sure enough, the giant bug followed her. It stumbled clumsily but surprisingly fast for something wingless, tearing through the grass like a bullet. Just as the exit was in plain sight, Rose was jerked back violently like a dog on a short leash. The Pinsir had taken hold of her guitar and was dragging her with it. Christopher had managed to catch up and kicked at the bug as hard as he could, but it didn't seem to be loosening its grip in the least.

"You're gonna have to leave it behind!" said Christopher after his fourth attempt to kick the bug off. It started to hiss and thrash as it attempted to tear the guitar off of Rose's back.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" she said stubbornly as she struggled to pull away. It didn't seem like anything was working. When it finally struck her that the guitar might be crushed under the pressure of the Pinsir's jaws, she rolled out from underneath it and left the guitar. She would have to come back for it another day, but for now she had to save her own life first. The two of them ran until their lungs were ready to burst.

After Christopher caught his breath and was able to walk at a normal pace again, he said "I should've gone with your plan and stayed in Violet City for the night…"

"Just shut the fuck up!" yelled Rose. They said nothing more to each other as they made their way out of the park and finally into Goldenrod City. It was empty at the moment, but Rose knew that it was bustling with tourists and citizens alike when it was daytime; much like in a city called New York that she'd once heard of. She found a bench near the train station where she could rest, laying on it without leaving any room for Christopher. He decided to sit on the ground instead, still not saying a word to her.

"You can leave now" Rose said bluntly. Her voice was raspy from crying, though Christopher hadn't seen it.

"I'm not going to" he said as he looked up at her. "I'm gonna help you get your guitar back in the morning."

Rose sat up and gave him a strange look. "Why the hell would you do that?" she asked.

"It's my fault you had to leave it behind in the first place" responded Christopher.

"Why did you need to come here anyway?"

"I was just visiting family. I told my sister I'd be here tomorrow, so it wouldn't hurt to wait a while."

"Why don't you just let me stay at your place 'til tomorrow?" Rose could already see where this was going, but it didn't hurt to stay just one night. She still didn't trust Christopher, but he didn't seem willing to leave her alone anytime soon. If anything happened, she could always ask to sleep on the couch. Anything to keep from being hit on anymore.

"I could ask" said Christopher, getting up from the ground. "Uhh, can you tell me at least what you're name is so I can let my sister know? She's 18, so she pretty much runs the house."

"It's Rose" she said shortly as she sat up. She could feel herself falling asleep even though it was only about 8pm.

"Alright, come on Rose" he said with a smirk as he offered her a hand.

"I don't think so pal" she said with the same smirk, having no problem at all getting up off the bench herself.

She followed Christopher only a short distance to the eastern part of town where an extravagant-looking house stood high above the dull-in-comparison ones around it. Rose admired the huge French-style windows and the alabaster Greek pillars in the front. Some hedges lined the backyard where a pool and beautiful garden could be found.

"Is this _your_ house??" asked Rose incredulously. She seemed to think she was in a dream of sorts and that she would wake up any minute on that bench near the train station."Well, my sister's house" corrected Christopher as the two of them walked up the front stairs. "I haven't been here in months. She's actually my foster sister, but whatever. A sister all the same. A rich-as-hell sister too, if you haven't noticed yet."

Rose laughed a bit at this. It seemed that rich people were completely oblivious to what they really have, but poor people know they're living in hard times and strive to fix it. The front door of the house opened into a very dark main hall, which suddenly became bright when Christopher turned the lights on. Rose heard something along the lines of "Who's out there?", which came from a door on the right on the other side of a set of huge stairs. She looked up and admired the decorated railing and banister, all of which were a deep cherry brown. The door from which the voice came opened up, revealing a girl with straight black hair and dark brown eyes. Rose immediately noticed the all-black clothing and the pentagram pendant on her necklace.

"Oh, hey Chris!" she exclaimed, giving the boy a suffocating hug. He coughed when she finally let him go.

"Feels like you've been working on that hug just for me" he said breathlessly.

"Who's your new friend?"

"This is Rose" said Chris, pointing at girl in question. "And this is Ivory, my sister." Ivory bowed her head slightly as a greeting, something Rose figured all pompous rich people did. She had a very biased view of the rich, seeing as she'd lived in poverty almost her whole life.

"It's very nice to meet you" Ivory said. "Is she staying here, Chris? Tell me this isn't another one of your 'fuck buddies'."

"Woah, hey, it's nothing like that!" Chris said a little too loudly. It was only now that Rose noticed just how far sounds carried in this corridor. "She needed a place to stay and I brought her here. I can tell you what's going on later. Right now I'm starving." He headed toward the door on the left of the stairs and disappeared behind it. Ivory shook her head disapprovingly in his direction, then turn toward Rose.

"You can go wait in the kitchen and I'll cook you up something nice" she said. "I have another guest here too. I'll have to get her."

Rose nodded and made her way to the kitchen. It felt weird being in someone else's house, especially being left alone. She immediately noticed a tapestry hanging on the wall parallel to the stairs, depicting intricate pictures of legendary pokemon. Hardly any of them were familiar to her, so she shrugged and went through the door. Chris was rummaging through the fridge without hearing Rose walk in, so she sat herself down at the kitchen table and waited.

"You want a drink?" Chris asked when he finally noticed Rose sitting there. She nodded, then he grabbed a cup out of one of the many white cabinets and filled it with wine. "Don't worry, it's not that strong at all" he said as he passed it to her. "Ivory's Nana lets us both drink it whenever we like, so it's all good."

It took Rose a few minutes to adjust to the strange taste, but after some sips it didn't seem so bad. But she told herself she'd have only two cups at the most. She wasn't sure how much of it would actually make her drunk, so she decided to stay on the safe side just in case. It was taking a while for Ivory to get back and when she finally did, Rose was downing the last of her first glass of wine. However, it took all the willpower she had not to spit it back out when she saw who had followed Ivory into the kitchen. Delilah's emerald eyes caught Rose's ocean blue ones and for a moment there was complete silence. It wasn't awkward or happy or depressing. Just silent.

"Um. I have to go to the bathroom" Rose said as she sprang up from her seat. Ivory offered to show her the way, leaving Delilah and Chris behind. Rose told herself to remember where the bathroom was, which was upstairs through the first door on the left. Why it wasn't on the first floor where the kitchen was, she would never understand. However, she thanked Ivory and hurried behind the door. When she was safe inside, she sat down on the cold marble floor and put her head in her hands.

"You have got to be kidding me" she muttered to herself. "Why is SHE here, of all people??" She sighed in frustration and ran her fingers through her hair - a nervous habit she picked up when she was looking for something to do with her hands. Better than… No, she couldn't get herself thinking about that. Not now. Not when she had been doing so well. She realized she had subconsciously brought her bag in with her, which was sitting next to her on the floor. She could feel tears running down her face, though she couldn't even remember wanting to cry in the first place. She stayed like that for the next ten minutes, sobbing into her hands so no one would hear. After a while, someone had finally decided to come up the stairs to check up on her. In a way, she wished it were Delilah coming to comfort her. But at the same time, she didn't want anything to do with her. Luckily, it was Ivory.

"Are you alright in there?" asked Ivory.

"Yeah, I'm fine" Rose's voice echoed from behind the door.

"That's good. You've been in there for a while. We cooked up a little something if you want it."

Rose washed her face up before coming out, not wanting anyone to know that she had been crying. When she calmed down a bit and was able to focus, she stepped out of the bathroom casually as if nothing had happened.

"I take it you don't like that Delilah girl" Ivory said as she led Rose back down to the kitchen.

"Well, it's not exactly like that" responded Rose as she made her way slowly down the stairs. She realized that having a crying fit for ten minutes made her strangely unsteady on her feet."I won't ask you to explain as it's not any of my business, but it is a good idea to talk to someone." Ivory left it at that and walked into the kitchen when Delilah and Chris were sitting at the table. There was a pot full of some kind of sautéed mushrooms and vegetables on the stove, which had been poured generously into three bowls and placed at each seat. Ivory didn't serve herself any food, having already eaten earlier. She offered Rose the seat furthest from Delilah, seeming to understand their dilemma. Chris sat next to Rose and Ivory next to Delilah. When everyone was seated, they all ate in awkward silence. Rose figured that if Delilah wanted anything at all to do with her, that she would talk to her personally. Otherwise, she would just give the cold shoulder. It was better than going through the pain of trying to be friends again and then ending up completely rejected.

When everyone had finished their food, Delilah politely offered to clear the table while Chris washed dishes and the other two went to the living room. Rose was close to tears, which was more a reason of anger than anything, knowing that Delilah was acting so much more hospitable toward a complete stranger than her. However, she forced herself not to think about it as she sat down comfortably on the pearly white sofa. Ivory left for a moment to get Rose some pajamas, then left again to let her change into them. Once that was all set, the two settled down on the couch and watched TV, which Rose had hardly any interest for. She would much rather be outside under the moonlight playing her guitar. That was just the hopeless romantic that she was.

"You can either use the guest room or sleep in my room, your choice" said Ivory, breaking the trance Rose was in as she stared out the huge window. It was hard not to, seeing as it looked out on a lot of things to look at. She finally turned away from the window and noticed that Delilah and Chris had been sitting right there in the living room the whole time. Chris was seated in the big armchair adjacent to the couch and Delilah was on the other side of Ivory on the couch where Rose could hardly see her. It was a good thing though, seeing as she'd rather not have to make eye contact or feel her staring at her.

"I think I'll take the guest room" decided Rose. Anything to just get away from everyone, she added in her mind. "Um. Can I go right now? I'm really tired."

"Sure, I can show you where it is" said Ivory, standing up. She went over to the window and shut the curtain, as it was getting darker, then turned toward Rose.

"Actually, I think I'll show her where it is" Chris said. Something in his voice sounded funny and for a moment, Rose thought he was slurring. She hoped to God it was her imagination and not the wine from earlier. She couldn't see if his eyes were glazed over or not because as soon as he spoke, he grabbed her by the hand and led her up the stairs. To the right of the bathroom was the guest room, into which Rose was led a little too hastily.

"Alright, this is where you sleep" Chris said as he made a sweeping gesture. The room was huge even for a guest room. Rose could only imagine what the master bedroom looked like. Midnight blue was obviously the color scheme for this room. The curtains, the bed, and the rug were all deep blue while the walls were more of a purple. The furniture was a dark mahogany brown and the ceiling looked like it had little stars painted on it. It was very dark but very beautiful all the same.

"Okay, so where's the light switch?" Rose asked nervously. She had just realized that she was alone here in this room with a possibly drunk guy and no one else nearby. She reached a hand out to feel for the switch, but was rudely blocked by Chris' body. "What the fuck are you doing?" she asked, clearly annoyed at this point. Without answering, Chris grabbed her around the waist and attempted to lock lips with her. She reacted faster than he'd expected and slapped him clear across the face, causing him to stumble backwards out of the room. Once she noticed he was out, Rose shut the door. Thankfully, she heard Ivory calling for her brother. She waited until the sound of his footsteps disappeared, then decided it was time to settle down. She put her bag on the nightstand next to the bed, then climbed underneath the silk sheets. She'd never felt silk before, but it was just as comfortable as people said it was.

However, sleep didn't come as easily as she'd expected as she started having more thoughts about Delilah. Some fantasy and some just downright depressing. She just couldn't take her mind off of her, as hard as she tried to think about something else. She even tried to think about something even more depressing, such as having to live with her mother for all those years, but to no avail. Finally, she began drifting off to sleep in the middle of a mini-fantasy with her and Delilah on the beach.

_Knock knock._

Rose nearly leapt right out of the bed when she heard the knocking, half-expecting it to be Chris. She said "Come in", but was too out of it to realize that it _could_ have been someone she didn't want in the room. However, someone completely unexpected came in and shut the door behind her. She came right over to the bed without hesitation and sat down.

"I need to talk to you" said Delilah in a very serious tone. "What the hell is wrong with you? I thought you'd be happy to see me, but instead you just ignore me." Rose, still in a half-asleep state, pulled the covers over her head and turned away from Delilah, who in return whipped the blankets completely off her.

"I ignored you 'cause I thought you didn't want anything to do with me anymore!" Rose said angrily. All this time trying to get to sleep and then Delilah comes in and wakes her up - she wasn't exactly happy about it.

"Why wouldn't I want anything to do with you?" asked Delilah as if it were the most ridiculous thing she'd ever heard.

"Because you're a bitch and you confuse the shit out of me." _Great Rose, lay it on her hard. That'll get you somewhere._

"All I wanted to do was talk" said Delilah, her voice rising with every word. "I just wanted to see what was wrong and hopefully fix things, but you don't want that. How the fuck can you tell ME that I'm the one being confusing??"

Rose sighed, getting closer and closer to falling asleep with every passing second. "Delilah… Just go away. I don't want to talk to you right now…" With those final words, she grabbed the blankets back from Delilah and threw them over herself. She would have given anything to be able to hide here forever and not have to talk to anyone ever again. Her thoughts swirled as she finally drifted off to sleep, but she couldn't remember hearing Delilah leave the room.

* * *

Morning came with its usual annoying brightness and Rose had been lucky enough to have to wake up to it. She could tell already that it wasn't going to be a very good day. Memories of the previous night stayed clear in the front of her mind, as if reminding her of just how mean she had been. But she refused to think that any of this at all was her fault. She needed to forget about Delilah and possibly get away from her. The only thing keeping her here was her missing guitar and Sage, who was supposedly around here somewhere. She hoped Tempest was right when she told her where he was. That was something she needed to remember to ask Ivory about whenever she got the chance. When she came downstairs, she realized both Chris and Delilah had disappeared. Ivory was in the kitchen making breakfast.

"Where'd Delilah go?" asked Rose, surprised at herself that this was the first thing she asked.

"You know, I'm not sure what it is she's doing" Ivory said. "But she's over at that broken down house next door just sitting on the front steps. It's weird. I know she told me once that she lived there, so maybe she's just reminiscing. I think you should go talk to her. I was watching her in the window and she was wiping her eyes…"

Rose sighed, knowing she couldn't possibly ignore Delilah any longer. She immediately went outside and walked over to the old house where she found Delilah sitting on the front steps staring off into space. Without a word, Rose sat down next to her. She didn't sit too close though, afraid that the older woman would just push her away. However, she didn't seem to mind the company. Either that, or she didn't even notice. All she did was stare ahead at nothing in particular, as if she were dead to the world. This was definitely a different Delilah than the one Rose was fighting with last night.

"Um… Are you okay?" she asked nervously. It was a stupid question, but anything to get Delilah to talk.

"I lived in this house nearly 12 years ago" she said shortly, avoiding the question altogether. She took a deep breath, then continued. "It was back when Team Rocket had taken over Goldenrod City the first time. It was much worse than what happened in the Radio Tower… They pilfered homes, looking for that damn All Stone that Silph Co. made. No one but the Rocket members knew about it and that was only because a spy was working on making it at the time. There were murders involved… and some cases of rape… They seemed willing to do anything to get what they wanted. This house here was one of the last ones to be broken into. I remember sitting in my room and I heard this… crashing sound or something from downstairs. When I ran to the kitchen and looked at the back door, all the glass was shattered. A Rocket member had kicked it in and broke it. He went after my mom first, because she was in the kitchen. She ran into the living room to fight him off, but he was too strong and ended up knocking her out cold. My dad wasn't home at the time, so all there was left was me. I ran upstairs 'cause that was the only way to go, but I knew I wouldn't be able to jump out my window to escape. Too high up. So when the Rocket came upstairs, all I could do was scream and throw things at him… But I was only 10, maybe 11 years old. I couldn't fight him off myself. So he ended up grabbing me by the throat and pinning me to the bed… And he just raped me…"

Rose was stunned to say the least. There wasn't anything she could possibly do for Delilah, who was trying as hard as she could not to cry. Her eyes watered and her hands shook, but she wouldn't let herself break down in front of Rose. Delilah took a deep breath, then continued the story.

"When he was done he just left without even searching the house… My mom finally became conscious and when she came upstairs, I told her everything. But I was way too young to know exactly what had happened… so all I could tell her was that the man did bad things to me and that it hurt… Team Rocket only made it to one other house before they were finally stopped, and luckily they didn't have the chance to harm any more people. The story was all over the news for a long time. You wouldn't remember though. You would have probably been at least 4 years old."

There was silence afterwards, but not the awkward silence the two of them had always hated. It was a sort of understanding, as if they had grown just a little closer to each other just because of that story. Rose never would have expected anything like that to have happened to Delilah - the tough, show-no-emotions Delilah who could overcome anything. Of course, at ten years of age, who could blame her? Even at this age, Rose wouldn't have been able to fend for herself in a situation like that. It's just too overwhelming.

"You still hate me kid?" Delilah asked after the long stretch of silence. She seemed to be pulling herself together pretty good and was making an obvious attempt at changing the subject.

"I never said I hated you" responded Rose quietly. She wasn't going to get angry at her. She didn't need to make things worse.

"Heh, liar." They sat for another ten minutes, then finally decided it was time to go home and get some breakfast. It felt as though it had been eons ago since Rose last ate. Delilah, feeling much nicer today than usual, took Rose by the hand and led her back to the house. Chris was still missing, but Rose didn't care in the least. Maybe he knew what he had done and felt too awkward about it. Or maybe he's just suffering from the world's biggest hangover. Rose would have hoped for that more than anything.


	26. Numb

Chapter 26: Numb

_(A/N) The fanfic is coming to a close soon, most likely within the next five or six chapters. Sorry folks, but I have to move it along and wrap it up. School's starting soon and I just can't keep doing this. But don't worry, I won't rush it. It'll just move along at a quicker pace than usual. The ending won't suck. Really. I think some of the more emo parts in this chapter ended up sounding corny, but oh well. Oh yeah, and for those of you with a MySpace account, check out my fan page from the URL in my profile. I've realized by now just how much I HATE the document edit/preview thing on this site..._

Things had quickly settled down with Rose and Delilah, the two of them seeming to grow closer and closer every day. Ever since Delilah told the story about how Team Rocket had raided Goldenrod City years ago, Rose had a newfound respect for her. They rarely ever fought, though sometimes Delilah would start up with her snappy attitude just to be a smartass. Chris was found the next morning talking to one of the National Park security guards, who was nice enough to go in and retrieve Rose's guitar for her. Although it had a few scratches on the neck, the guitar was perfectly fine otherwise. It still played the same, to Rose's relief. On those days when she felt unbearable depression because of Sage's absence, she'd go outside and play her guitar for hours. Ivory had been the first to tell Rose that Sage was at the Pokemon Center and not doing too well. From then on, Rose made sure to visit him everyday to check up on him and make sure he was okay. The biggest news to have reached her, which was just a month after, was that Sage seemed to be on the brink of evolving, which was strange for a pokemon that did not battle much at all. The nurse had, however, explained that because of the forced evolution, any other evolution after that would be much faster because of the aftereffect of the All Stone. Whether or not this was a good thing, no one could be sure. Sage had been getting more and more vicious and unpredictable by the day.

After a while, Rose began to lose all hope for Sage and instead of visiting him everyday, she kept herself in her room hiding under the covers all day. There was nothing to do and even if there was something to do that she liked, she had lost interest in a lot of her favorite things lately. Delilah would try and comfort Rose as much as she could, bringing her food even when she refused to eat and staying by her side. She would often try and get her out of the bed, which never seemed to work. At night, Delilah slept beside her and refused to leave the room until late the next morning.

"I think you need to get out and do something" said Ivory one day, coming into Rose's room for the fourth time. Delilah had gone out early that morning to do some food shopping and run some errands. "You've been cooped up in here all day long and it's really not good for you." Rose turned away from her and threw the covers over her head - her infamous method of telling people off without having to say anything. She never listened to anyone's advice anymore, no matter how much it made sense and was probably better for her than what she was doing now. She just didn't care anymore.

"Delilah will be home soon" Ivory said as she walked out of the room. "Maybe she can keep you company and hopefully get you out of bed."

It was early evening when Delilah finally came home. She went straight upstairs to where Rose was hiding under her covers. It didn't seem like she'd moved at all since the last time Delilah was there. She sat down next to the girl, a brown paper bag on her lap.

"Hey kiddo, I got you something" said Delilah, holding out the bag. Rose stayed facing away from her and didn't say a word. "Come on, I bought it just for you. I know you'll like it." Rose turned toward her slowly and sat up a bit, leaning on her elbow and taking the bag from Delilah. She opened it and peered inside, then looked up at Delilah in silence.

"… Well?" asked Delilah as she waited for some sort of response. Rose pulled out the object from the bag, which was a beautiful blood-red rose in full bloom. She ran her fingers over the velvety petals and the sharps thorns that protruded from the long stem. Never in her life had she ever gotten flowers from anyone. She looked back at Delilah, who was smiling.

"I, um… T-thanks..." Rose could feel herself blushing and she wished she could go back into hiding under her nice warm covers.

"Whatever it takes to make you smile" said Delilah. Now it was her turn to blush, but she turned her head and stared at the wall so Rose wouldn't see. "I think you should get up and have something to eat. You're skinny enough as it is." She ruffled Rose's hair like a big brother would do, having her hand swatted away in mock annoyance. Rose finally sat up all the way, straightening out her hair and finding a hair tie on the nightstand to pull it back with. She hadn't noticed that since leaving Pallet Town, her hair had grown almost to her bottom. She made a mental note to have it trimmed sometime soon.

"Come on, I'll make you breakfast" said Delilah, taking both of Rose's hands and pulling her slowly to her feet. She was quite dizzy from laying down for so long, but she managed to walk out the room with Delilah and downstairs to the kitchen.

* * *

A week or so had passed and in that time, Rose finally began to cheer up a bit. She wasn't exactly perky or bubbly, but she stopped spending the days hiding in her room away from everyone and instead spent her time outside with her guitar whenever she had the opportunity. Playing her guitar, whether it was by herself or with Delilah at her side, helped her forget things a bit. She assumed Sage was doing fine at the Pokemon Center - otherwise, someone would call her to give her any news - so she refrained from seeing him until she knew for sure that he was better. He still wasn't in his right mind and probably didn't care at all to see her even after all this time.

One day, however, Rose finally got a call from the Pokemon Center with news on Sage's wellbeing. Ivory had woken her up from a deep sleep, telling her to pick up the phone downstairs in the main hall. Grudgingly, Rose got up out of bed and went to retrieve the phone. She picked it up and said in a groggy voice, "Hello?"

"Hello, this is Nurse Rachel from the Pokemon Center" said the voice on the other line. _(A/N: Honestly, I'm sick of all the damn Nurse Joy's. So I decided to come up with a random name to make it a bit more… sensible I suppose.)_ Rose knew by the tone of her voice that something was very wrong. "Um, I have some pretty shocking news for you… Sage evolved into Feraligatr last night, which could be taken as good news but… Well, as soon as he evolved he went on some rampage and ran off. I would have called sooner, but he was destroying everything and we had everyone on staff trying to restrain him. He's run off into the National Park and he won't move, so we've taken everyone out of there so no one would be hurt. I'm not sure if this is possible for you or not, but we figured you would be able to get through to him and calm him down."

"So… Do you want me to stop by there and see what I can do?" asked Rose, still a little lightheaded from having to get up. Nothing seemed to be registering right, so she wasn't sure if she should be worried or happy or what. For the time being, she would just have to take it as it comes until her brain would start reacting to things again.

"You can come by anytime, the security guards know who you are. But be careful Rose."

The two of them said quick goodbyes and hung up. From there, Rose ran up the stairs to her room to get changed. Once she had finished tying her shoes, she grabbed her battle-wounded guitar and decided that if anything would help, it would be the music Sage used to love. As she was running out the door, Rose almost literally ran into Delilah.

"Wow, you're up early" she said. "Where ya goin' kiddo?"

"Um. I just wanted to get out for some fresh air" Rose said nervously. "Maybe play some guitar. I want to go by myself though. I'll be back later." With that, she hurried out the front door without so much as a glance back.

Running made the trip short, but it was hard with the guitar on her back. Nevertheless, she made it to the National Park where Sage was supposed to be hiding. Rose walked around for a bit in the tall grass, hoping to see him. It wasn't hard to see a huge blue pokemon in some grass. After about five minutes, she decided to take a breather and sit down where the grass was its shortest. It was then that she noticed a shadow being cast alongside her and upon looking up, she came face-to-face with the most ferocious pokemon she had ever seen. It stood at least 7 feet high and had a huge jaw lined with many teeth. It stood on its massive hind legs, which were like scaly tree trunks. Its head was at least two feet wide and had piercing red eyes that could kill with a single glare.

"… Sage…?" Rose asked as she cautiously approached the pokemon. He responded to his name with an uncaring snort and started growling as soon as her hand got too close. He stepped back a few paces, then set off on his own on four legs. Rose sat down where she thought it would be safe and played her guitar for Sage, hoping it would make him come to her calmly. Sadly, he ignored the gesture and continued walking around amongst the trees and grass. He swatted at some annoying bug pokemon that got in his way as he went.

"Come on Sage, I know you remember me" Rose said as she tried to get through to him. "You were my friend. I pretty much raised you. And you love guitar. Why don't you like it now?" Again, this was completely ignored. But something seemed wrong with Sage. He looked restless as if something were distressing him, nostrils flaring as he seemed to grow more and more agitated. A weaker side of Rose would have told her that she'd used up her time here and that she should go home. But her stubborn side told her to stay and keep trying. She continued playing a medley of her favorite songs on her guitar, still trying to coax the beast into coming closer. Finally, when had Sage decided enough is enough, he began slamming his tail against some of the trees around him. Rose had to stand up and move so she wouldn't be crushed. Leaves and branches flew everywhere as it got even worse, as if Sage were falling into an uncontrollable Rage.

"Sage, what's wrong with you??" Rose asked over the sound of trees crashing to the ground, a seemingly desperately attempt to try and block out the familiar sound of the guitar. He let out a roar as he slashed at a tree with his claws, ripping through the rough bark like paper. Small plants and trees were uprooted around him as the Rage went on. The enraged Feraligatr kicked up stones and headbutted trees as his anger grew and grew. He had some scratches on his blue skin and he was very bruised up from crashing into everything in sight. There was nothing that could stop him - all Rose could do was watch him continue to hurt himself and destroy everything around him. Then something caught the pokemon's eye and he jerked his huge head towards it.

Rose backed up quickly and nearly tripped over as Sage came closer, but he didn't attack her. He went straight for her beloved guitar, picked it up in his mouth with a snarl, and shook it violently. Drool flowed from his powerful jaws and both sets of sharp white teeth could be seen sunk deep into the wood.

"NO SAGE!!" screamed Rose. But he didn't listen to her. He was probably too out of it to even hear her. With one last jerk of his head, he threw the guitar on the ground. It was covered in bite marks all over the neck.

Then, in slow motion, Rose watched in horror as Sage's huge scaled foot came down on the instrument. CRASH. Muscle and scale broke through wood, splintering every inch of it. The strings came undone, curling in on themselves as they snapped. There was nothing left to it as it was reduced to a flurry of splintered and cracked wood. Sage growled and bared his fangs, moving his foot off the guitar. Not a single sliver of wood stuck in him – the scales were much too tough.

"S-Sage… no…" Rose said weakly. He still didn't seem to notice her at all. He turned around and with a threatening whip of his tail, lumbered off on all fours. She couldn't go after him, couldn't scold him, couldn't do anything. Her long-time companion was no longer friend; his mind was too corrupted by natural vicious instinct.

There was nothing left to do but to leave the broken remains of what was once dear to her. Shattered, like her heart. It couldn't be fixed. Rose got up off her knees, which were covered in damp soil. She dusted them off as she sobbed quietly. Sage wouldn't come to comfort her even if he saw her like this. All she could do was to go home with the burden of her sorrow weighing heavily on her shoulders - and she did just that. She took one look back at Sage, who had calmed down immensely, then began walking out of the park.

_"Someday, we'll find something better. I promise."_ These words rung in her head the entire walk home. She had told Sage that things would get better with time when he was a little Totodile, but it was more like a poor attempt at convincing herself that it was true. But it was all a lie - nothing had gotten better. Rose would have much rather been stuck with her drunk mother in Pallet Delilah around, it was never enough. Delilah never understood Rose and Sage's friendship and probably never would.

Before she knew it, Ivory's house was a mere few feet in front of her and she found herself going in through the front door. The house was quiet, which must've meant everyone had decided to go out for the day. The couch in the living room looked like the only source of comfort left, though it wouldn't do much for the broken girl. She made her way into the room and sat down, staring at the television. It was off, but she didn't care. No amount of fiction could drown out the painful reality that had crashed down on her that morning. The incident with Sage suddenly reminded Rose of a movie she had seen as a child, about a boy and his dog. The dog was his best friend in the world, but one day the dog somehow became infected with rabies and had to be shot by the very same person who befriended him for so many years. This thought brought a torrent of tears to her eyes, which ran down her cheeks. She covered her face and sobbed into them, oblivious to the figure standing in the doorway.

Delilah walked into the room and put a gentle hand on Rose's shoulder. She looked up from her hands in surprise, but didn't bother hiding the tears that poured down her face. She jumped up off the couch and threw herself into the older woman's arms, which promptly wrapped themselves gently but firmly around her slender body. Not a word was said as the two of them stood like that, Rose crying into Delilah's chest the entire time. There was a silent understanding here for which words were not needed. There was something else here too. Something that they felt, something real and yet not. It was there but could not be seen. Neither of them was even sure what it was, but it was a powerful emotion that seemed to overtake both of their bodies. Maybe this was the love Rose had been looking for her entire life. Delilah was the only one who seemed to care about her and understand her feelings, and she felt horrible that she'd ever wished that she were back in Pallet Town rather than here. Even while they were fighting, they couldn't seem to stay angry at each other for very long. Even while they were apart, they always eventually found each other. That had to have meant something, right?

"I have something to tell you Rose…" Delilah said, breaking the comforting silence. This made Rose's heart beat twice as fast when she heard these words. She looked up into her friend's eyes and saw something strange in them. It didn't look like what she had to tell her was what she had expected. "I got a call from the Pokemon Center while you were gone" she continued. "I know you went to go see Sage. But it's way too dangerous to be around him anymore. The nurse said that the only thing we can do is have him euthanized so he won't hurt anyone. He's already attacked a little homeless girl and her godfather is struggling to collect money to help her stay alive." Rose thought back in horror of the dirty man sitting underneath the tree in Violet City. To think someone who had once been her friend viciously attacked a little girl who belonged to someone who had no money nor a home.

"I c-can't have Sage euthanized…" Rose said as she choked on fresh tears.

"He's way too dangerous and he's not listening to anyone at all" responded Delilah as nice as she could. Despite her agreeing with the idea of putting the monster to sleep, she decided to tread lightly so as not to get into another fight. It was more than enough that Rose had to go through all this.

"Can I go upstairs, please?" asked Rose. It sounded more like she was begging. "I think I need some space." She wiped her eyes as she turned away from Delilah, who grabbed her lightly by the arm and spun her back around.

"Don't leave without this." She gave the girl a light kiss on the forehead, then let go of her arm. "It'll be alright. Don't sweat the small stuff."

Rose hurried out of the living room, feeling sick to her stomach, and pretty much ran up the stairs to her room. Once inside, she shut the door and sat on the bed. _'Don't sweat the small stuff'? What the hell is that supposed to mean?_ Delilah was taking the situation so lightly and it made Rose angry. She was also confused by the random kiss Delilah gave her. It wasn't anything hugely romantic, but it still made Rose reconsider the thought of Delilah never caring about her. Even though she did get on her nerves at times, she still seemed to care more than anyone Rose had ever met. Still… the thought of losing Sage to the rapid evolution that turned him into a monster couldn't be seen as something Rose would just have to deal with. But that was exactly what Delilah seemed to see it as. She had probably never lost a close friend, so she wouldn't understand.

_Don't sweat the small stuff._ Those words kept invading her thoughts. It was almost like Delilah saw it as some big joke. This wasn't just "small stuff". Things were so up and down lately that Rose didn't think she could bear it anymore. Where she found pleasure, she also found an immense amount of pain. There was nothing she could do, but she couldn't just let her friend die when nothing was even his fault. He didn't choose to be forced into the body he has now; he probably didn't even know what he was doing to the people around him.

Looking around the dimly lit room, Rose's eyes found the bag she had been carrying around since the earliest parts of her journey. She went over to it and kneeled in front of it. There was a reason she didn't let anyone, not even Delilah, go through this bag. She rummaged through its contents until she came across what she had been looking for, tucked away safe in a little plastic bag - a razorblade. She carefully took it out and held it up to the light filtering in through the only window, admiring the object. The sharp edge glinted beautifully against the sunlight. Rose brought it down to her arm and pressed it against her skin, losing herself in the blissful pain that made everything seem so much better.

_(A/N) I'm also looking for anyone who knows how to draw anime who can draw me a picture of Rose and Delilah. Nothing dirty, but something nice for my Pokemon fan page. Please and thankies._


	27. Fade to Black

_(A/N) I made a special but very miniscule change to the lyrics used in this particular chapter so it would fit better. I guess this is sort of a disclaimer. The lyrics still belong to the band, not me. This chapter was almost named after my favorite song, but then I ended up changing my mind. Oh well._

Chapter 27: Fade to Black

The world seemed to stop turning as things went in and out of focus. A chilly, fever-like feeling swept over her body and it was all she could do to hold onto the edge of the bed to keep from collapsing entirely. The razorblade had been thrown angrily across the room, covered in crimson red relief. Her arms were in the same state and were still spilling blood all over her clothes and the carpeted floor. Everything was a mess, but she didn't care. She just wanted to get away from everything, to block it all out, and to somehow convince herself that everything she had experienced since Sage became vicious had been merely a dream. That wasn't the Sage she knew and loved and she wasn't about to believe it now. The monster hiding away at the park was a different pokemon altogether. Rose had always believed that if she went back to her old house in Pallet Town right now, she'd find Sage sitting there on the front porch swing waiting for her. But all was hopeless now.

With a long sigh, Rose finally collapsed onto the bed and everything around her blacked out. The last thing she could remember, not quite knowing whether it were dream or reality, was seeing Delilah standing over her limp body.

_Rose seemed to be gliding along, ghost-like, over the vast Kanto oceans. The sun shone brightly, almost blindingly. The deep blue water glistened in the light and seemed to stretch on forever into the distance. She was soaring higher now, on her great pearly-white wings, finally free. Hours, even days, seemed to go by as she turned and twisted gracefully over the land. Time was non-existent. She had no goal in mind, no destination. The only thing that mattered was that she was free._

_After traveling nearly halfway across the continent, she noticed her seemingly flawless wings began to falter. She could climb no higher and her wings began to quickly lose their color. They were a dusty grey, fading to coal black. The soft feathers fell off one by one until her wings were no more. She began falling, seemingly forever, and the black feathers fell with her. Falling and twirling in the air like a flurry of autumn leaves. Dead leaves._

_And then came the horrible, suffocating blackness._

Voices could be heard from all around and for a moment, Rose thought she was going completely crazy. But common sense finally kicked in and told her that the voices must have been those of the people in the room with her. She also figured out that she was lying on a bed, but the sheets were not silk like her own. If only the blackness would go away, then maybe she could see where she was. She laid like that in the dark for the next hour or so - or maybe it had been years, she wasn't sure - until her eyes finally opened to a brightly-lit, all-white room. It was obviously a hospital. There was no clock here, so she couldn't tell what time it was. But the window's curtains were opened just a bit and she could see the light blue color of the sky. Her head turned around quickly as someone opened the door into the room. In the doorway stood Ivory and Delilah.

"Jesus, you really scared us Rose" said the latter as she pulled a chair over to the bed. She sat down and took a good look at Rose, making sure everything was okay with her, then put a hand on hers. Rose didn't respond at all, but instead stared at the blank wall ahead of her. The annoying color all around her was enough to drive anyone crazy. Ivory was still standing awkwardly in the doorway, not knowing what to do. She apparently didn't understand the situation as well as Delilah did.

"The doctors say you're fine and that all you have to do is make sure you eat and drink a lot for the next couple of days so you don't pass out again" continued Delilah. "Neither of us are your legal guardian, so we couldn't get them to put you on an IV for the blood loss. But it'll be fine once you rest a bit and find some food. You just have to make sure you do that." Rose nodded, but didn't seem to be listening at all. The only one she could see in the room right now was Sage. But it was the Sage who actually cared - the young hatchling that had followed her home that day she'd found him lost and orphaned in the woods. She wished more than anything that she could reach out and stroke his little blue snout, but the image disappeared and left nothing but the wall she was staring at. She trembled, but managed to keep herself from crying. Delilah gave her hand a squeeze, then looked over at Ivory.

"… I'll leave you two alone, but I'll also let the doctor know she's awake" Ivory said. She turned around and shut the door quietly behind her.

"What's wrong with you??" asked Delilah. "I could've lost you!" Rose continued to stare at the wall, not seeming to have heard her at all. Neither of them said anything for a few minutes and Rose could feel Delilah staring at her, so she spoke up.

"Do you really think all this isn't a big deal at all?" she hissed angrily, still looking away.

"No, I don't" said Delilah quietly. "I know what you're going through is hard and I'm trying my best to be here for you. I told myself I wouldn't fight with you or say anything to you that I would end up regretting later on. I really do care about you. I lo-"

"You told me not to sweat the small stuff."

"Which meant to be strong Rose." Delilah, sick of talking to just the side of her face, placed a hand on Rose's chin and turned it toward her. "I didn't mean to make it seem like it didn't matter to me. It matters a lot to me because it's hurting you. I hate to see you hurt, as much of a pain-in-the-ass as I can be." She smirked, hoping to cheer Rose up at least a little bit, but she merely shrugged in response with her eyes averted. Delilah sighed and let go of her chin.

"I can't l-let him die" Rose muttered. She didn't even seem to be talking to Delilah at all, but instead to herself.

"I know, Rose, I know." Delilah said as she tried the best she could to comfort her friend. It seemed there was nothing anyone could do to change Rose's mind about putting the vicious Sage to sleep, but it had to be done. Perhaps, Delilah thought, Rose needed time to let go of the past before making such a huge decision.

Day turned into sundown and sundown into night, and a cloudy moonless one at that. The window near the hospital bed was nothing but a bluish-obsidian void dotted with very few stars. The wind howled relentlessly, announcing an oncoming storm. Living in a coastal area brought forth many days of poor but only slightly cool weather, mainly windstorms and rain. Delilah had left hours ago after figuring that Rose needed some time to herself. She was also being very stubborn and unresponsive, which left Delilah somewhat annoyed. It now seemed like Rose was putting up a wall between her and the rest of the world.

Rose soon fell asleep to the sound of the howling wind outside, sweeping up mini-cyclones of leaves and twigs and other debris. The rain came later on, nearly flooding the streets of Goldenrod City completely. But Rose slept through every minute of it, feeling both emotionally and physically exhausted from that morning. Somewhere in the torrent of rain, Delilah sat alone and stared at the building where Rose was lost in a deep sleep. Visiting hours were long over, but Delilah refused to go home. Instead, she took a seat on the fountain in front of the Department Store where she could see the hospital. She wasn't sure which window was Rose's, but for some reason she still stared at them as if her friend would look back at her from within. Sleep would never come to Delilah tonight as she forced herself to stay awake the entire time, hoping to see Rose again as soon as she could. She greatly regretted leaving the hospital early, but was now determined to get through to Rose and break down the wall that seemed to stand between them.

Morning came and broke through the misty aftermath of the storm, but the clouds kept their dark shade of grey as they hung over the drenched city. Numerous puddles formed in random places, providing adequate bathing pools for stray pokemon and annoying obstacles for people moving to and fro. Among them was Delilah, quickly making her way back to the hospital while pretty much pushing through anyone who was in her way. She made it to the hospital and went up to Rose's room, only to find her staring at a tray of food in her lap.

"I hope you're gonna eat that" said Delilah as she pulled up a chair beside her. They didn't look at each other for a while, but both of them knew that the other was tempted to say something to break the awkward silence. Rose's food ended up getting cold and eventually thrown out when she refused to eat a single bite. If bleeding to death wouldn't kill her, then starvation eventually would. Delilah seemed to be the only one who could see this and was determined to get Rose to eat, bringing her food from a nearby bakery whenever possible and refusing to move until she'd had at least a few bites.

Finally, around late afternoon, Rose was released and free to go home. But instead of heading back to the house, Delilah decided to take her out shopping for the day. She couldn't let her friend shut herself up in her room all day and block everything out. She needed something to distract her, even if it was something as simple as shopping. Delilah pretty much lectured her about how she needed to get out of the house because doing otherwise wasn't healthy. With a shrug, Rose followed her to the Department Store with some money, though she wasn't planning on buying anything at all. She wandered aimlessly around the aisles of clothes, not really looking at any of the merchandise. She'd have much rather stayed home in her room, even if it meant sitting there not doing anything at all. Nothing seemed to interest her at all after losing her guitar, the one thing she would always turn to when she was lonely or bored.

Eventually, she wandered into the section of the store that sold home improvement items. She walked past many rows of paint and tools and rope - in fact, an entire section of this floor was dedicated to selling coils of rope of all kinds. Rose shook her head sadly as she passed by, then suddenly walked back when an idea popped into her head. She looked around to see if Delilah was around and when she realized she was the only person in the store, she grabbed a relatively small length of rope and brought it to the front counter. With a strange look from the cashier, the rope was rung up and stuck into a plastic bag. Rose thanked him, quickly walked out, and stuck the rope into her own backpack. Turning the corner to go back down the stairs, Rose found Delilah coming from the opposite direction.

"Hey kiddo, did you find anything good?" she asked, stopping in front of Rose on the top step.

"Um, no" said Rose in a weak voice. She adjusted the bag on her shoulder.

"Well come on then. I think we've seen everything there's to see here." She held out a hand to Rose, who took it and held on tight like a child. "Let's take a walk."

"We've been walking all day Delilah" complained Rose as they went all the way down the stairs and out the huge front doors of the building. It was still a bit cold and foggy outside, though there hadn't been any rain since the previous night.

"Do you wanna go home then?" asked Delilah.

"Is that okay?" Rose asked in response.

"Whatever floats your boat. There's not much to do now anyway." They walked home after this, which didn't take long since the house was just one more street over. Delilah went into the kitchen to make some lunch for Rose, who went into the living room to wait. Chris was here and he seemed to be staring at places Rose would rather not have stared at as she came into the room and sat down.

"Hey there sexy" he said with a smirk. Rose gave him a glare that clearly said "Don't even start with that shit." They sat without a sound except for that of the television blaring some annoying cartoon, but Rose didn't care. She seemed to be getting better at blocking things out as of late. After a while, Rose became tired from sitting for so long and instead decided to get up and leave the room. Chris, as usual, watched her intently from behind as she walked out. She went right through the main hall and out the front door, not caring much for lunch at the moment. With the backpack still on her shoulder and other things in mind, she wandered up to the National Park where Sage was. But she had no intention at all to see him or even have anything to do with him.

The beast was nowhere to be found, to Rose's relief, so she walked right on through until she made it to an area crowded with many trees. It was dark here - the sun was completely blocked out by both the colony of trees and the thick clouds above. Finding a tall tree with low-hanging branches, Rose hoisted herself up and sat on the nearest branch that would hold her weight. She was a good ten feet up from the ground; or at least that's what she guessed as she looked down from her perch.

Perfect, she thought grimly as she took the bag off her back and pulled out the newly-bought rope.

The sky, grey and thick with clouds, seemed to be on the verge of tears just as Rose was. The air had turned muggy and there was an uncomfortable chill in the air. Stray dead leaves drifted by on the breeze and it seemed there wasn't a living thing in sight. The trees bowed to the wind as it got stronger with every passing minute. But every one of those minutes was a gradual countdown; Father Time was meticulously ticking away the seconds, and there were only moments left before everything would just disappear and it would all be over. No pain. Nothingness.

_Life it seems will fade away  
__Drifting further every day  
__Getting lost within myself  
__Nothing matters, no one else_

It took only a minute to tie the rope to the thick tree branch. With shaking hands, Rose formed the familiar shape at the hanging end. She had thought of doing this this many times before, but never had the courage to go through with it. The noose was soon complete – nine neatly tied knots coiled around the rope until they reached the loop at the end. It fit snug around her warm neck, where she could feel her pulse pounding. But she herself was calm. She took deep breaths and dared not let a tear fall from her eyes.

_I have lost the will to live  
__Simply nothing more to give  
__There is nothing more for me  
__Need the end to set me free_

She would be strong; she would no longer show any emotion. Indifference - it was the only way to show the world she wasn't weak. Why, then, was she letting herself give up like this?

_Things aren't what they used to be  
__Missing one inside of me  
__Deathly lost, this can't be real  
__Cannot stand this Hell I feel_

She spent no time in arguing with herself. She couldn't allow anything stop her from her goal; she_ wouldn't_ allow it. She tied one end of the rope to the branch while slipping the other end around her neck. Both hands firmly gripped the rough bark as she remained seated on the branch for a moment, contemplating.

_Emptiness is filling me  
__To the point of agony  
__Growing darkness taking dawn  
__I was me, but now she's gone_

Rose shut her eyes, a single tear rolling down her cheek. This was it; this was the end. She let her hands slip off the branch, then her body. She fell in slow motion, her limp body nothing but stone. She could have sworn she heard Delilah's voice calling her as she took her last breath and mentally braced herself for the impact. Gravity did its job well and pulled her down violently, but she never hit the ground.

_No one but me can save myself, but it's too late  
__Now I can't think, think why I should even try  
__Yesterday seems as though it never existed  
__Death greets me warm, now I will just say 'goodbye'…_


	28. In the End

Chapter 28: In the End

_Eight-year-old Rose sat alone in her bedroom, curled up in a ball underneath her covers. It was nearly midnight and little Pallet Town was being drenched with rain and buffeted by harsh wind. The weather had been getting progressively worse each day and Rose had been deathly afraid of thunderstorms at the time. She would have asked her father to keep her company tonight, but he and her mother were having one of their usual arguments. Various objects could be heard being smashed against the walls in the living room, probably having been angrily thrown by her mother._

_With all the courage she could muster, Rose popped her head out from beneath the thick blankets. A boom of thunder caused her to jump, but she wasn't going to hide anymore. She wanted to be brave tonight and to be the big girl her daddy expected her to be. Slipping into her Pikachu slippers next to the bed, she smoothed out the covers as best she could and knelt down on the floor. She folded her hands like she'd seen in the movies and closed her eyes, despite the bright flashes of lightning and the pounding thunder so close to the window._

_"I know I don't talk to you a lot, but daddy says you can help me when I need help" Rose said in a little voice. "I been a really good girl and Santa Claus even thinks so. He even gaved me everything I wanted for Christmas last year, but he forgot something, so I'm gonna ask you." She took a deep breath, as if preparing to ask a huge favor from her mother. "Can you send me an angel? Daddy told me there are lotsa angels in Heaven and I wanna meet one. Maybe one of them can make mommy stop being mean to daddy."_

_She promptly added an "amen" at the end, having heard her father do it so many times before when he prayed. Then she climbed back into bed, leaving her Pikachu slippers on the floor, and pulled the covers up to her chin. For the first time in her life, Rose slept straight through the thunderstorm and woke up feeling bright-eyed and bushy-tailed the next morning. But she would soon discover that her angel wasn't coming. Day by day, she'd sit out on that front porch swing she loved so much, waiting for the angel that she asked for to show up. She used to think that Sage was like a guardian angel to her ever since she'd found him, but what angel would hurt her the way he did only two years later? She could never understand why things had turned out the way they did and like most people, she mostly blamed God for what had happened. She'd asked for an angel and though she'd eventually gotten what she asked for, it was quickly taken away from her._

Rose's whole life flashed in her mind, which was something she'd always seen as one of the many myths about death. However, she couldn't remember any white light at all even though her thoughts were jumbled and hazy. Instead, she felt herself being caught in mid-fall by two warm arms and time seemed to have completely stopped. It felt much like one of those dreams in which you could feel everything that physically happened to you.

_Why haven't I hit the ground yet? Am I still falling? Oh, wait… I can't hit the ground with a rope around my neck… I feel so warm here, so safe. Someone's arms are wrapped around me, holding me. An angel maybe? Wait… How can I feel anything? I'm dead. This is so weird… I'm too scared to open my eyes… Maybe I've been sent to Hell. But there is no Hell. There can't be. If there is no God then there is no Hell but the one I've been living in all my life. So… Am I alive then…?_

Something familiar echoed in the depths of her unconscious mind – a voice calling her name. The voice grew louder and more persistent and soon, Rose knew for sure that she felt someone cradling her limp body. Whoever it was had caught her just in time and was trying to call her back to consciousness. Rose slowly opened her eyes, which met beautiful bright emerald ones. They belonged to Delilah, who looked down at her with reddened, tear-filled eyes.

"What were you thinking…?" Her angelic voice came in a hazy whisper. Things were happening so fast now that Rose almost hadn't heard her. Everything looked blurred and she wasn't entirely sure if it was the fog or her numbed senses that distorted her vision. Was this real? Was _anything_ real? She felt like she was stuck in some bizarre limbo and at any moment, she'd completely disappear and move on to the afterlife.

"I can't live without Sage." That's what Rose had wanted to say in response, but she didn't. Instead, at a complete loss for words that had any coherency at all, she said "I'm so sorry..." She buried her face in Delilah's chest and repeated it over and over again, still not completely in her right mind. She still felt dead; felt like she _should_ be dead. But what the hell was she sorry for? If anything, the world owed _her_ an apology.

At this moment the rain finally decided to fall, quickly soaking everything all around. The raindrops were like the tears the Rose couldn't cry – not only drowning out sound, but drowning her soul as well and leaving her even emptier than before. The pitter-patter of the rain was the only sound that could be heard besides that of Rose's heartbeat in her throat. She looked up at Delilah as her hair stuck to her pale face, which had thinned quite a bit from her recent moments of unbearable depression.

"Do you realize how fucking lucky I am?" Delilah asked, hugging Rose closer. Rose lifted her head and their eyes met once again. She'd never realized just how incredibly beautiful Delilah was until now, even as the woman struggled to hold back tears. "I don't know what I would've done with myself if I didn't come for you…" She tried to hold back a sob, but to no avail. Tears ran down her face freely and mingled with the rainwater as she now cried uncontrollably, resting her forehead on Rose's so that their noses were touching. But as strangled as her voice sounded, Rose knew she heard the following words quite clearly: "Sage may be gone, but that doesn't mean you don't have anyone. You have me. I love you Rose, way more than I've been letting you believe all this time."

Before Rose could respond, Delilah's lips came into contact with hers. She immediately felt as though she were flying with this angel carrying her; soaring high above the earth and leaving everything behind. All her fears and worries and sorrow seemed to completely fade away. She finally found her angel right here - the one she'd been searching all along - with her indescribably sweet, breathtaking kiss. This was the love Rose had been wanting, but didn't think she would ever feel. Is it even possible for something to feel so dream-like and yet so real at the same time? She finally had something – _someone_ – to live for. _This_ was her freedom, not death. _This_ was the real Heaven – here with her angel.

The noose was still around her neck and tied to the tree as the kiss went on for what seemed like forever. She contemplated everything that had happened over the last couple of days and realized just how grave a mistake she'd almost made. Giving up completely like that would never have fixed things. Sage would have been the same as always and to make it worse, she would have been leaving Delilah behind. Eventually, the two of them pulled away slowly and Delilah took the rope off Rose's neck. She gave a weak smile and finally took up the opportunity of mouthing the words "I love you too", but she felt far too drained to say much else. The rain was still relentlessly falling all around them, but there was no sign of thunder nor lightning anywhere.

"Let's go home" Delilah said shortly with the most sincere smile Rose had ever seen. Instead of putting her down, however, Delilah decided to carry her all the way out of the National Park and back home.

* * *

Within the next few years, Rose was sent to a councilor upon Delilah's request to help her regain mental and emotional stability. However, the two of them began living together in a brand-new house in the southernmost area of Celadon City. Delilah constantly kept a careful eye out on her lover ever since the incident years ago, hiding all sharp objects and making sure she was never left alone. Things quickly settled down after Rose had gotten back from therapy with a clean slate. She felt like a huge weight was lifted off of her shoulders despite the fact that Sage, diagnosed with a severe personality disorder and determined too dangerous for human care, had been euthanized only a month ago. Delilah had him buried underneath a huge oak tree in the back of their house, name-engraved headstone and all. Rose had eventually accepted the loss as simply a part of life, knowing that this was probably the best thing for him anyway. He was finally free of pain and probably thoroughly enjoying his peaceful afterlife.

As a birthday present for Rose in early February, Delilah had invested in a wooden swing that was set up out on the back porch where it overlooked the lonely grave. When Rose came home to the wonderful gift, Delilah allowed her some alone time to sit and become lost in her thoughts for a while. She felt proud of how far she'd come and how strong she was now, which was probably why Delilah allowed her to come out here by herself to enjoy the snowy view. She sat down comfortably on the swing with her legs kicking lightly back and forth to move it as she looked out on Sage's grave, decorated with withering roses and candles. It was a beautifully morbid sight, but Rose enjoyed it nonetheless. Without her guitar, however, she could only sit there and watch the blue skies overhead and the withered, frost-covered trees around the house.

"If I could, I'd play my guitar for you" Rose said in a whisper, speaking to her friend. She didn't want to pass up the chance that he may, in fact, be able to hear her even all the way down here on earth. Even though she would never see him anytime soon, she still confided in him whenever need be. He still provided her comfort and she often pretended he was sitting right there on the swing with her, watching the scenery with her like they had always done when he was a young Totodile. The swing creaked as it rocked back and forth and it was the only sound that could be heard even in the large city of Celadon. The thick layer of fresh snow muffled any other sounds for miles around, providing peace and quiet while Rose contemplated.

As crushed as she was with the destruction of her guitar years ago, she had never bought a new one to replace it. The idea, to her, was as absurd as the thought of replacing Sage with a new pokemon. He was dead and the guitar was dead; both an irrevocable loss. Rose had no choice but to accept the loss and what has happened since she'd left her old house back in Pallet Town. Things seemed to be getting much better now and Rose didn't want to ruin it by hanging onto the past - "Live and let die", as she had heard in an old song once.

But the one thing that had been burning in the back of her mind since the day she'd begun her adventure through Kanto was this: Had it all been worth it?

_It starts with one thing  
I don't know why  
It doesn't even matter  
How hard you try  
Keep that in mind  
I designed this rhyme  
To explain in due time  
All I know  
Time is a valuable thing  
Watch it fly by  
As the pendulum swings  
Watch it count down  
To the end of the day  
The clock ticks life away  
It's so unreal  
Didn't look out below  
Watch the time go  
Right out the window  
Trying to hold on  
But didn't even know  
Wasted it all just to  
Watch you go  
I kept everything inside  
And even though I tried  
It all fell apart  
What it meant to me  
Will eventually be a memory  
Of a time when_

_I tried so hard  
And got so far  
But in the end  
It doesn't even matter  
I had to fall  
To lose it all  
But in the end  
It doesn't even matter_

_One thing  
I don't know why  
It doesn't even matter  
How hard you try  
Keep that in mind  
I designed this rhyme  
To remind myself how  
I tried so hard  
In spite of the way  
You were mocking me  
Acting like I was  
Part of your property  
Remembering all the times  
You fought with me  
I'm surprised it got so far  
Things aren't the way they were before  
You wouldn't even recognize me anymore  
Not that you knew me back then  
But it all comes back to me  
In the end  
You kept everything inside  
And even though I tried  
It all fell apart  
What it meant to me  
Will eventually  
Be a memory  
Of a time when_

_I tried so hard  
And got so far  
But in the end  
It doesn't even matter  
I had to fall  
To lose it all  
But in the end  
It doesn't even matter_

_I've put my trust in you  
Pushed as far as I can go  
For all this  
There's only one thing you should know  
I've put my trust in you  
Pushed as far as I can go  
For all this  
There's only one thing you should know_

_I tried so hard  
And got so far  
But in the end  
It doesn't even matter  
I had to fall  
To lose it all  
But in the end  
It doesn't even matter_

-End.

* * *

Song List

Disclaimer: Every one of these songs and their lyrics belong to the artists shown on the list, not me. Too bad.

- "Swing Life Away" by Rise Against  
- "The Great Escape" by Boys Like Girls  
- "Push" by Matchbox Twenty  
- "Story of My Life" by Social Distortion  
- "Drive" by Incubus  
- "Headstrong" by Trapt  
- "Hero" by Mariah Carey  
- "Code Red" by Nonpoint  
- "Right Here Waiting" by Richard Marxx  
- "Move Along" by the All-American Rejects  
- "Here I Go Again" by Whitesnake  
- "Keep Holding On" by Avril Lavigne  
- "Can't Be Saved" by Senses Fail  
- "These Dreams" by Heart  
- "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" by Pat Benatar  
- "Unwell" by Matchbox Twenty  
- "How Far We've Come" by Matchbox Twenty  
- "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey  
- "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" by Elton John  
- "The Path" by HIM  
- "So Far Away" by Staind  
- "Through the Fire and Flames" by DragonForce  
- "Hey There Delilah" by the Plain White T's  
- "Numb" by Linkin Park  
- "Fade to Black" by Metallica (lyrics were slightly modified)  
- "In the End" by Linkin Park

_(A/N) I love how an anti-religious person such as myself can write chapters like this._

_Thanks for reading and I hope you liked it. It's done. No more. Reviews would be nice. Sorry it ended up being so short. Keep an eye out for any new fics of mine because I plan on starting another multi-chapter one eventually._

_And also, I'd like to thank the following people who greatly inspired most of my characters' personalities (they'll know who they are): Coheed (heheh…), Lulu (she probably had the biggest part), Allison, Jack (I might as well since he was two of my characters), Danielle, Allie, and many other people who inspired my characters' names. Can't really think of anything else, so I'll leave it at that._

_Jeez, talk about a cheesy author's note. Don't mind me. Lack of sleep and such…_

-_Withered Rose_-


End file.
